


I’ve Been Hoping You’d Be Somewhere Better Than This

by runaway_train



Series: Advertising AU [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Office, Bottom Louis, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Funny, M/M, Rough Sex, Smut, Top Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 02:54:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 39,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runaway_train/pseuds/runaway_train
Summary: “Does she know who it is then, from the New York office?” Louis enquires.“Yeah, some guy Henry? Henry Styles I think she said?"“Harry.”“What?"“Harry. His name is Harry Styles.” His heart sank. Louis hadn’t met him, they had only shared a couple of emails back and forth, but he knew exactly who he was. And Harry hadn’t just been killing it in the Big Apple, he’s been ripping the place to absolute shreds, nailing some of the most lucrative accounts in the business.Louis is so fucked.OrThe one where Louis is up for a promotion, he just has one tiny, little problem standing in his way.





	I’ve Been Hoping You’d Be Somewhere Better Than This

**Author's Note:**

> This is my [Tumblr](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com) for anyone interested, come say hello. The specific post for this fic is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com/post/181327912900/advertising-au-masterpost-ive-been-hoping-youd).
> 
> Title is from ['Hoping You Changed' by Two Another](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9yZDfOfytU)
> 
> Disclaimer: I know nothing about the advertising industry or contract law and all the companies are made up. God, do I love the phrase 'artistic license' :D

“So have you heard the news?”

Louis looks up from his computer to see Liam standing in the doorway of his office. “That depends on the news to which you are referring.” Knowing Liam, it could be literally anything from a zombie apocalypse to the local Tesco running out of his favourite brand of cereal.

“About the new guy starting next week?”

“Eh, no? What new guy?” Louis’ puzzled. He didn’t think there were any positions available at Corden Winston Advertising.

Liam moves into the room, slipping into one of the seats in front of Louis’ desk. “Well, word is, James has decided to take a step back from the day to day running of things, what with the new baby and everything. Jeff is gonna take over his position to support Ben, which therefore leaves Jeff’s job open. Has Ben not spoken to you about any of this?”

“No he hasn’t. What the hell Liam? I should be getting Jeff’s job? I’m the only senior European exec after all, and London is the head office, surely it makes the most sense? They better not be hiring an external, no-one knows this company and our clients better than I do.” Louis picks up the stress ball off his desk and starts furiously squeezing.

“Well, that’s the thing. Ben apparently doesn’t want to just give the global exec job away to you, or anyone else for that matter, so he’s bringing in some guy who’s been killing it in the New York branch here for a couple of months first, you know, before James actually steps down. Then he’ll decide between you both.”

“Are you serious? What the actual fuck?” Louis slams the stress ball back onto the wooden surface in front of him, causing the items of his desk to shake and a pen to roll off the side onto the carpet. He can feel the first throbs of a headache already forming in the back of his skull. He’s been with Ben and James since he was nineteen, working his way up the corporate ladder. Eight years of overtime, late nights, weekends, 6am flights all over the continent, schmoozing the shit out of clients, presentation after presentation, his blood, sweat and on three occasions his actual tears.

All for nothing.

“Yeah, I know. I’m glad I’m only the IT manager. Don’t want to be involved in that drama,” Liam chuckles.

“Lucky you,” Louis snidely responds.

“Sorry dude, that was shitty of me. But I mean, it’s not like it’s an actual no or anything. You could still get the job. In fact, you probably will, this will just be like a little final evaluation to make sure you’re the man for the task.” Louis knows Liam is trying to be supportive but it’s not really helping right now.

“Yeah, well, we’ll have to wait and see won’t we? Who even told you all this anyway?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

“Jesy.” Ben’s assistant was the biggest gossip Louis had ever met. If you ever wanted to find out the dirt on anything in the office, she was your go-to girl. “Does she know who it is then, from the New York office?” Louis enquires.

“Yeah, some guy Henry? Henry Styles I think she said?”

“Harry.”

“What?”

“Harry. His name is Harry Styles.” His heart sank. Louis hadn’t met him, they had only shared a couple of emails back and forth, but he knew exactly who he was. And Harry hasn’t just been killing it in the Big Apple, he’s been ripping the place to absolute shreds, nailing some of the most lucrative accounts in the business.

Louis is so fucked.

“Well some big brash American isn’t going to fit in around here is he? And you have all of us here in London who love you on your side don’t you? Not to mention you’re bloody good at your job. I really don’t think you should worry. Not yet at least.”

“Mmmm,” is all he can reply, thoughts whizzing round his head already. Louis’ got a hundred things to do this week, this was the last thing he needed on his mind. There’s a knock on the door, and Jade, Louis’ loyal assistant of the last year, enters after he tells her to come in.

“Oh hey Liam! Uh, Louis I know you’re busy, but Ben’s just called down, he wants you up in his office as soon as you can, sounded quite urgent.”

“Thanks Jade. I’ll go up now. Can you call Tina at Southbridge Sports and apologise but tell her I need to push back our Skype meeting to 11.30am?”

“Of course.” And with that, she leaves the two men alone once again.

“I’m so fucked Liam.” Louis buries his head in his hands.

“You’re not fucked. Just go and see what he has to say.”

 

__________

 

“I mean you’ve done a fantastic job with the European brands Louis, you know that, and we cannot appreciate your loyalty to us enough, but from a business point of view I hope you can empathise that we need to look at every avenue available to us at such a sensitive time in the current economic climate. Harry’s been very successful with the US market, so it’s a natural conclusion to compare the two of you when looking at who will look after our global accounts.”

“Ben, we’re mates yeah? Can you cut it with the business lingo bullshit and give it to me straight?”

Ben laughs, used to Louis’ somewhat unfiltered attitude when dealing with people. “Fine. Harry wants to move back to the UK. He’s made us a shitload of money and we don’t want to lose him, but he’s a bit of a loose cannon and you would be the safer choice.”

“He’s from here? I thought he was American.” Louis’ states, his dream of Harry deciding he hates the UK after a fortnight and wanting to move back home to the motherland disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“Well sort of, he’s originally from Manchester or around that neck of the woods, only been in the States for a couple of years, but he’s had some personal stuff going on, I believe his sister is expecting a baby and he wants to move back here to be closer to them.”

“I see.” Louis breathes out a heavy sigh. “Well while I appreciate your honesty Ben, I can’t help feeling like I’d be bidding my time just to be metaphorically shafted.”

“That’s really not the case, I mean even if you don’t get global, and I’m not saying you won’t, there will be other opportunities. You know we are looking to open offices in Amsterdam and Melbourne in the next twelve to eighteen months, you could be running one of those.”

Louis instantly starts shaking his head. “I don’t want to run a new site, I like dealing with the clients, not the office politics. I want global. That’s always been my goal and you know it.”

“I know Louis. But we cannot just give you the job, you must get that?”

“Fine. So what’s the plan then. For when Pseudo-Yank arrives I mean.”

Ben rolls his eyes at the nickname but must decide to let it go. “Well Harry is in the final stages of handing over his accounts to Vanessa, the top Junior US exec, and he’ll be here from next Tuesday. Now I know you’re in Hamburg then with Goldman Enterprises, so you’ll get to meet him on Thursday when you are back in the office. Following on from that, the general idea is that you get him familiar with the European sector, and then you start taking on some of Jeff’s work load, sharing it between you. The main objective however, is you both attempting to secure new global clients. It’s essentially a trial run for how you would each be working if you got the job, but with the benefit of you working side by side for support if required.”

“He’s not getting anywhere near my accounts Ben.” Louis tells him defiantly.

“Louis. Don’t be territorial. And if it’s you that’s promoted and not him, he’ll be taking over them anyway. It’s in your best interest for the process to be as seamless as possible.”

Louis decides not to push it. “Will we be sharing Jade?”

“He’s actually bringing his own assistant in. Some guy he used to work with before he moved away. Zack or something. Hold on, I’ve got his name here somewhere.” Ben rifles through some papers from the pile on his desk before pulling a sheet of A4 out and reading from it. “Ah yes, Zayn Malik. James met him, seems like a nice kid.” Louis couldn’t give a shit what his name is.

Louis slaps the arms of the chair he is sitting in and pushes himself out of it. “Right, well, as lovely as this all is, I’ve got work to do, so I’m gonna head off.” He starts walking towards the door.

“No problem. But Louis…” Louis turns to Ben when he reaches the doorway. “Seriously, you need to be good to this guy. This whole thing will not go in your favour if you act like a petulant child.”

Louis turns to walk through the door and waves his hand back dismissively at Ben. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say boss.”

 

___________

 

Once he is back in the safety of his own office, and sent Jade to do some photocopying he doesn’t really need in order to distract her, Louis opens up Internet Explorer on his computer desktop. First he goes to the company website. He doesn’t really know why he bothers, he knows from his own experience that there is unlikely to be any information that he doesn’t already know. He finds just Harry’s full name, position, contact details, and that he has been with the company since January 2016. Snooze.

Then he tries good old Facebook. He searches for any Harry Styles in New York. Two profiles come up but neither seem like him, one is a guy in his early 40’s with two kids in a back garden in his profile picture and the other is studying at NYU. He then tries again with London, then Manchester, remembering Ben had mentioned that’s where his family is from. Each time nothing coming up that fits. Hmmmm. That’s weird. Everyone has a Facebook page don’t they? Like even Joyce in Payroll has a Facebook page even though all she posts about is her cats, particularly since Brian left her at Christmas. Lovely woman. Very sad situation really. OK, we’re kind of digressing here.

He tries Instagram on his phone. That’s even worse. There is one account on there that’s possibly him, but it’s all just a lot of artistic black and white photos of random shit and pictures of Scrabble boards, so even if it is him, it doesn’t hold anything of any use to Louis.

And then Louis has a brain wave; LinkedIn. Why didn’t he think of that before! Idiot that he is. Harry will definitely be on LinkedIn, it’s such a key tool for their business and networking needs. He pulls up the home page and enters his own log-in details, bringing up his personal profile. Two messages and three network invitations. Well, they can wait for now. He searches Harry’s name and it pops up instantly. It’s not really a surprise, they work in the same company, and have a lot of mutual connections because of that. Actually, why _aren’t_ they connected already, Louis thinks to himself. Whats Harry got against him huh? Hmmm, he could maybe be overthinking this. He clicks on the link.

The first thing he sees is Harry’s picture. And well. It’s a surprise. He doesn’t know what he was expecting but this guy looks, for want of a better word, decent. It’s just a head shot, and he’s a bit young looking, like he might struggle to grow a full beard, but he’s got nice eyes and pouty pink lips and a jawline that could cut glass. His hair is way too long though, chocolate brown ringlets sitting down around his shoulders, like he’s in a band, and he looks to be wearing a black and white flowery suit.

Louis instantly despises him.

He takes a look at his connections. 1046. Louis only has 828. But, come on. North America is so much bigger than Europe. They must have more people there. So like as a percentage, Louis’ must be higher. He quickly googles the population of both continents but doesn’t like the answers he gets back. Time to move on.

He has a quick scan of Harry’s work history. He’s moved companies a couple of times before heading to New York, and he’s been to Uni to study business and marketing, but nothing out of the ordinary. Fuck. Louis’ just realised that Harry can see who has viewed his page. Shit. Double fuck, fuck, shit. Right. OK. It’s fine. He’ll just send an connection invitation to Harry. It’s a perfectly normal thing to happen, I mean they will be working together. It’s fine. Harry won’t know Louis has been cyber stalking him. He sends the invitation and goes to check his unopened LinkedIn messages.

Not even three minutes later, he receives a notification that his invitation to Harry has been accepted. Five minutes after that, he receives a private message.

 

**Harry Styles - Senior Advertising Account Executive: North America**

_Hi Louis_

_Thanks for getting in touch, guessing you have heard the news about my overseas move! Heard great things about you and really looking forward to meeting next week and working with you and the rest of the London team for the foreseeable future._

_If you need anything please do not hesitate to get in touch._

_Have a great day._

_Harry Styles_

 

God, what a bloody suck up. And that ‘have a great day!’ bullshit like a stereotypical cheesy American. Louis looks at the time and does the maths. It’s only 5.15am in New York right now. Who the fuck is up at 5.15am to go to work? Louis has to travel through central London at rush hour and can still afford a lie in until 6.45 at the latest. Mmm, maybe Harry has been up all night tossing and turning with the stress of having to compete with The Great Louis Tomlinson, but he thinks that’s pretty unlikely.

He doesn’t reply. He decides to leave it for a couple of hours, then he’ll send some generic response. Doesn’t want to appear keen, like they are going to be mates, because, that is one hundred percent not going to happen. Louis will make sure of that.

 

__________

 

“So any sign of Styles yet?” Louis asks walking into the office kitchen and taking one of the seats at the large table in the middle of the room. Liam, Niall and Perrie are already sat down and Louis makes grabby hands at Jade who picks up the two cups of tea she’s just finished making at the counter and walks over to join them, handing one of the cups to Louis before she takes her seat, Louis thanking her in return. It’s been a week since his chat with Ben and two days since Harry officially started, and Louis hasn’t warmed to the idea of him in the slightest. He’s managed to refrain from texting anyone at work when he was stuck in Hamburg to find out what Harry is like though, so there’s always that.

“Yeah he’s coming in a bit later today, he’s picking up the keys to his temporary apartment.” Perrie answers.

“Did he actually use the word apartment?” Louis asks her.

“Um. Yes?” Perrie looks at the others in confusion, not sure why she is being asked the question.

“Urgh. That’s so typical.” Louis rolls his eyes dramatically.

“What is?” Jade asks him to clarify.

“That he says apartment instead of flat. I bet he calls it a sidewalk and pronounces it tom-ay-to while he’s at it like an absolute bellend.” Louis grumbles.

“In my defence, the building is called The Revolution Apartments.”

Louis whips his head round at the sound of the unrecognisable deep drawl to face the door, and there, standing in all his smug glory, is Mr Harry Styles himself. He’s in a bright blue suit with a black racer stripe down the side of each leg and black t-shirt. Louis doesn’t want to admit it but he looks so much better in person than he does in his photo, and, as an added bonus, the long hair has gone, in it’s place a fairly short cloud of twists and spirals.

“You’ve cut your hair.” Shit. Why did Louis have to say that out loud?

“You mean today or...?” Harry smirks.

Louis hears quiet giggling from around the table. He turns to quickly glare at his supposed friends before turning back to Harry. “No I mean, um... your photo. From your photo online? The message you sent. Your hair. It’s shorter.” Why is he speaking like fucking idiot. This is simply not how this was supposed to go.

“It is.” Harry nods, his smirk having grown into a fully dimpled smile. “You must be Louis Tomlinson, I’m Harry. Harry Styles.” He moves forward, extending his hand.

Louis takes it in his own firmly and shakes. “Pleasure.”

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine.” He says it in a way that makes Louis feel like Harry knows something he doesn’t. Harry turns to the rest of the group. “So how is everyone doing today?”

“Great thanks, you?” Liam replies.

“Oh not too bad, still getting over the jet lag but I’ll survive.” He makes his way over to the coffee machine and grabs a mug, filling it from the jug that’s been freshly brewed. “Just wanted to grab a quick coffee before popping down to HR to sign some health and safety paperwork, won’t be long. Louis, I’ll meet you back in your office in twenty?” He looks at Louis eagerly.

“Can’t wait.” Louis says, the biggest, fakest smile he can manage on his face.

If Harry recognises the insincerity, he doesn’t acknowledge it.“Great, see yah!” he says as he walks out the room.

Louis groans. “Thanks a lot guys, could have told me he was behind me.”

“Sorry, but that was pretty funny. Should have seen your face. And what was with the hair chat? You been stalking him or something?” Niall questions.

“Of course not, it’s just different from his picture on LinkedIn, threw me off. And anyways, what was that ‘Harry, Harry Styles’ bullshit like he’s double oh bloody seven or something. And the suit? I mean honestly.”

“Oh Louis chill out. He’s really nice. I had lunch with him yesterday and he had nothing but good things to say about you and the work you have been doing.” Perrie informs him.

“And I think his suit is amazing. I wonder if it’s Gucci? Yesterday he was wearing Gucci.” Jade looks like the human embodiment of the heart eyes emoji.

“Have I accidentally walked into the the Harry Styles Fan Club meeting or something? I’m allowed to be defensive, he’s about to swoop in and take the promotion I’ve been working my bollocks off for.”

“Who pissed on your cornflakes this morning? Talk about pessimistic. We get that it’s a tough situation but just remember he’s the new one here, not you, and he wants the job too, so he’s just as threatened by you as you are by him.” Liam scolds. He’s meant to be on Louis’ side here. Bloody traitor.

Louis huffs, crossing his arms over his chest, “I’m not threatened, I just don’t want to deal with his crap.”

“Well you sound it. I think you should lay off and not give him a hard time. Or Zayn for that matter.” Liam says.

Louis scoffs. “Pfft. Zayn. Sounds like such a hipster name. I mean it’s probably made up.”

“It’s Arabic actually, but I can see why you’d think that.”

Louis whips his head round again to the sound of yet another unfamiliar voice at the door, to see who he can only assume is Zayn Malik.

“Oh for God’s sake. That’s it, I’m out of here.” Louis screeches as he stands up and storms out the door, shouldering a shocked looking Zayn as he passes.

 

______________

 

“Hello again.”

Louis looks up from where he is scribbling in his notebook ideas for a pitch for a men’s clothing company to see Harry leaning against the doorframe at the shoulder, hands in his pockets. Is he posing? He looks like he could be posing. “Hello.” Is all Louis says in return.

“Can I come in?” Harry asks, like he hasn’t already got a foot across the threshold.

Louis is tempted to say no, just to see what Harry does. “Of course, take a seat,” he says instead, pointing to the chairs in front of his desk. Harry does as suggested.

“Great office. I literally had a windowless box back in the States. Oh, cute, is this your family?” He picks up a picture Louis has on his desk of his four youngest siblings, the two sets of the twins, and holds it closer to his face to inspect.

“Uh, yeah, some of them. Could you not touch my stuff?” Louis leans over to take the frame out of Harry’s hands and replaces it in its original position.

“Oh yeah, sorry, that was a bit rude wasn’t it?” Harry looks a little sheepish. “I’m just really excited, my sister is having a baby in a couple of months, first grandchild in the family. I love babies.”

Louis just stares at him at a loss as to why this man is telling him about his future niece or nephew. Harry opens his mouth to continue but is interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Hey guys, mind if I come in?” It’s Zayn. God, can Louis not get a break today.

Harry turns his head towards the man as he enters. “Sure mate, what’s up?”

“Thanks. Quick one for you, I’m having trouble getting my code for the photocopier to work? Not sure who the best person is to help me with that?”

Harry turns back to Louis and raises his eyebrows.

“Yeah they are a bit of a nightmare. Perrie, Jeff’s assistant, blonde girl on fourth, she’s pretty good with that kind of thing. Failing that, speak to IT on second, they should be able to sort it,” Louis tells him.

“Cool, thanks. You need anything Haz?” Zayn says to Harry.

“No, I’m good for now Zee.”

Zayn turns to leave, but Louis knows he need to apologise. He just would have preferred not to do it in front of Harry. “Uh Zayn, hold on a sec.”

“Yeah?” he says from the doorway.

“I want to say sorry about earlier in the kitchen, I wasn’t very nice, and shouldn’t have stormed off like that.”

“Oh don’t worry about it. Liam said you were having a bit of a bad morning, it happens dude, no harm done.” Zayn smiles softly.

Louis avoids Harry’s questioning eyes and continues looking over his shoulder at the door. “Yeah but still, wasn’t right. And well, it’s good to meet you anyways, welcome to the team.”

“Thanks! Happy to be here. Best be off though, my boss is a dick and has a load of crap for me to do.” He finishes, winking at Harry. Harry waves him off with a chuckle.

“Well, you’re just making friends all over the place aren’t you?” Harry teases after they are alone again. Does he have to be such a condescending arsehole? Louis chooses to ignore him and get back to his notes. Harry must sense that he’s pissed Louis off, and decides to change the subject. “So what what are we working on today?”

Louis puts his pen down, leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “Well I don’t know about you, but I’m working on a pitch and I have a couple of conference calls to make this afternoon.”

“Aren’t you meant to be involving me in that though, so we’re like, you know, working together and you’re showing me everything?”

“I can handle it fine on my own, why don’t you run on up to fourth and see if Ben or James needs a hand with anything?” He tries to say it nicely but he’s pretty sure it comes out patronising.

“Um. OK, are you mad with me or something? I know it might have felt like we got off on the wrong foot earlier but I honestly thought the whole thing was funny?” Harry smiles meekly, running his hands through his hair. Well how big of Harry to laugh off Louis’ blunder, does he want a medal or something?

“I’m not mad. I just don’t need your help.” Louis doesn’t return the smile.

“Louis. Can I say something?” Louis is about to say no, when he continues anyway, “I know this whole thing is awkward, and you probably feel like I’ve come barging in and I’m going to take what’s yours, but I really am not your enemy. We’re on the same side here, and in the same position, so I know what you are going through. I think it would be great to work together and learn from each other, because I am confident it will only make us stronger as individuals, as well as being successful for the company. And whatever happens down the line, we’re going to be working together for a while, would be great if we got on. So what do you say?” He finishes by flashing what Louis surmises is one of his ‘winning’ smile. Why does he have to have dimples?

Louis sighs, “yeah, I guess you’re right.” Harry isn’t right. He _is_ the enemy, but Louis believes in keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, so for now, he’ll play Harry’s game.

“Excellent.” Harry looks relieved. “I tell you what, why don’t I go and grab us a couple of coffees, and maybe two of those fancy muffins I spotted in the kitchen, and I’ll come back and you can tell me all about this pitch you are working on, and we can bounce a few ideas around? How does that sound?”

“Tea.” Is all Louis replies with.

“What?” Harry looks at him wide-eyed.

“I drink tea, not coffee. Milk, two sugars.” Harry takes that as an agreement and practically leaps out of his chair, striding over to the door. His legs are so long, Louis thinks. “Styles?” Louis calls out after him.

“Yeah?” He says turning back round.

“Is your suit Gucci?”

Harry looks down at himself then back up at Louis. “Uh… no? It’s Calvin Klein? Why?” he replies, brows knitted together.

Louis shakes his head, “no reason.” He then picks up his pen again and begins writing, effectively ending the conversation, leaving Harry to awkwardly turn back round and walk out the door, an air of confusion around him.

 

___________

 

Over the next couple of weeks, Louis spends pretty much all his working time with Harry. Not that he wants to, but because he’s been told to and it’s not all doom and gloom because, as it turns out, he’s actually pretty good at his job, and is therefore very useful. Louis gets through a shitload of work with his help that he thought would take him forever, the clients that he has introduced Harry to have been kept extremely happy, and Harry seems to have a knack for knowing when Louis needs another cup of tea.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still hate him however. Louis thought he would be polite and take Harry to lunch the first couple of days to, you know, thank him for his efforts and keep up pretences of trying to get along with him. Huge mistake. Harry took it as an invitation to 'get to know your colleague’ and proceeded to ask Louis every single question that popped into his head;

_“Where are you from Louis?”_

_“How many siblings do you have? “How old are they?”_

_“What’s your favourite food?”_

_“Do your prefer dogs or cats?”_

_“Where in Europe has been your favourite place to travel to?”_

_“Oh Louis? Did you see this t.v programme on Channel 4 last night? No? What kind of programmes do you watch?”_

It was relentless. Louis’ surprised he didn't get asked what his inside leg measurement was, since Harry seemed to want to know that much about him. After that, Louis had to pretend to need to work through lunch every day, choosing to eat a shitty Tesco meal deal at his desk in order to get some peace. Harry offered to help him get through the workload, which Louis politely declined, but he seemed to take it well though, going off to be quiz master with some else each day with a smile on his face.

The suits Harry wears continue to be outrageous. It turns out he has a couple of friends in the ‘fashion world’ (Harry’s words, not Louis’) back in New York, so has been able to get a designer wardrobe at the fraction of the price. The pink and white checked number was a particular low point. When Louis had enquired as to why Harry was wearing his mother’s kitchen table cloth, Harry has laughed and told him, “oh you are such a kidder Louis, it’s Vivienne Westwood.” Odd, as Louis hadn’t actually been making a joke.

And the think that Louis hates the most about Harry? Is that everyone loves him. Seriously. The whole office is infatuated. And Louis just doesn’t get it. Ben and James seem to think the sun shines out of his arse, and appear to have all these ‘in’ jokes with him that Louis doesn’t understand. When he tries to get involved with the banter, Ben will just squeeze Louis’ shoulder and say something highly irritating like 'you probably had to be there' as the three of them continue to guffaw at each other. And everyone else is just as bad, gushing over how funny, and friendly and gorgeous and hard working Harry is.

Louis is going to explode.

 

__________

 

“Nialler, where’s the Myers draft cut? I need it for my meeting with Jacob in an hour.” It’s Thursday, exactly two weeks since Louis met Harry, and he’s found himself on the second floor in the graphics department.

“True art takes time Tommo.” Niall says, not every bothering to look up from his computer screen.

“You’re not an artist, you’re an idiot with a MacBook and a God complex.”

That gets his attention, and he finally looks at Louis. “I resent that.”

“I resent you. Now come on”

Niall checks his watch. “Gimme forty five minutes.”

“Do it in thirty and I’ll buy you lunch.”

Niall thinks about it for all of a millisecond. “From Gino’s?”

“Yes, from Gino’s”

“Anything I want?”

“Fucking hell Niall, yes, anything you want.” This boy is a nightmare. He’s lucky he’s one of Louis’ best friends, otherwise Louis might be forced to strangle him with a computer cable.

“Deal. Now run along, I’ve got magic to create.”

 

__________

 

True to Niall’s word, the video is in Louis’ file sharing account twenty nine minutes later, and after a successful meeting with Jacob, Louis stays true to his.

“I’ll have a foot long meatball marinara with extra chillis, skin-on fries, a slice of apple pie with custard and a large Coke please Gino.”

“Ah, Louis’ paying today then I take it Niall?” Gino says as he rings up the order through the till.

“You betcha’” Niall grins from ear to ear.

“I’ll have a six inch spicy chicken, extra peppers, a regular Sprite and a second mortgage on my flat to pay for his please.” Louis says, tilting his head towards Niall on his left.

“Sure thing.” Gino chuckles as he pushes a few more buttons and takes Louis’ card payment. He prepares their drinks for them and hands them over, along with a charmingly rustic tin can filled with the cutlery and napkins they’ll need and sends them off to find a seat and wait for their food.

They settle at a table by the window, and Louis’ barely managed to get his suit jacket off before, “so Harry seems pretty decent.”

Louis’ shoulders sag. “Oh hell, not you too?”

“What?”

“I swear to God, the guy has been here a fortnight and he’s already been sucked off by half the first floor.”

“Well, wouldn’t put it passed Joyce in payroll, she’s been absolutely gagging for it since Brian left her at Christmas. But seriously, he seems like a good lad? Had a decent conversation with him yesterday about different social media platforms, he’s got some really cool video content ideas.”

“Oh come on, you get a hard on if anyone whispers Final Cut Pro in your ear, I don’t think you are the best judge of character here.”

Niall shrugs. “True, but I still like him.”

“He’s a twat. He just so bloody happy all the time. No one is that happy, he must be faking it. And the way he dresses is obnoxious and don’t get me started on the food eats for his lunch. He eats kale out of choice Niall, _kale_. You know what kale is don’t you? It’s the devil’s food. I mean it’s one stop away from bloody wheatgrass. You simply cannot trust a man like that, Nialler, you just can’t.”

“You do realise that those aren’t really reasons to dislike someone don’t you? I don’t know what your issue is. You wanting a shot on that or something? Crabby cause you can’t get a leg over?”

Louis tuts loudly, “what? No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“He’s your type,” Niall replies thoughtfully.

“What, male?” Louis is offended. How could Niall possibly think someone as awful as Harry Styles be Louis’ type.

“No he’s like, pretty but in a manly way, dimples and stuff, good teeth. And I spotted some tattoos. And tall, but not like crazy tall.”

“Niall, you sound like you want to get a leg over.”

“Mmm don’t think Hailee would like that much would she?” Niall laughs, talking of his girlfriend of a year. He might be straight himself but Niall has played an excellent wingman for Louis on many an occasion, so unfortunately for Louis right now, he knows what he is talking about when it comes to Louis’ taste in the male species. “But seriously, he is your type.”

“Hardly. And besides, don’t even know if he’s gay.” Louis plays with his straw in his drink, avoiding Niall’s scrutiny.

“Well, I don’t know what he classes himself as or anything but he likes men. Mentioned to Jesy that he originally moved to New York to follow his ex because _‘he’_ worked in finance over there.”

Mmmm. Louis wonders to himself if Harry knows Louis is gay. Not that it matters. Louis hates Harry. Who the fucks cares what Harry thinks anyway. Screw him and his homosexual tendencies and his nice face. He’s still a twat. “Whatever. I’m done talking about this.All I’ve heard about lately is ‘Harry this’ and ‘Styles that’, it’s doing my head in. Is it not enough that I have to spend every waking work hour with him? Can I not even eat my lunch in peace?”

“Sure mate, just, you know, give him a chance though yeah? He isn’t all that bad.” Louis is saved from answering by the arrival of Gino and their food. Neither of them mention Harry for the rest of their lunch.

 

_______________

 

The following Tuesday, Harry and Louis both get called to James’ office. Together.

“Afternoon gentlemen, please take a seat,” James instructs them both with a hand out towards the chairs in front of his large desk. They look at each other while they do it, both equally unsure what is happening. Louis’ mind is racing, his main thought it that they are going to announce who’s getting the promotion now for some reason.

“Right, well I’m going to cut to the chase. I know Ben explained to you both how the next few months were going to go for you but there has been a significant development so that is going to now change. This morning we’ve be contacted by a very large firm that are looking for a new advertiser, and with Jeff being tied up in some other projects and stuck in L.A for the next couple of weeks, we think the best course of action is for you boys to work together on the pitch, as you’re by far and away the best we have.”

“Who’s the client?” Harry asks.

“Dashel & Moore.” Both Harry and Louis suck in breath through their lips in unison.

“Yeah, that was what my reaction was when they called,” James chuckles.

“I don’t understand. They are absolutely massive? I know we deal with global brands but they are on a completely different scale. Surely they have they have entire teams of people all over the planet looks after their advertising?” Louis questions. Everyone knew Dashel & Moore, they were one of the worlds leading providers of beauty and household consumer products.

“Yes well, this is a bit different. Their new CEO Marcus has come in and made some serious changes. After the controversy over that questionable ad campaign at the beginning of last year that got a lot of flack from animal rights groups and social media, and then the recall of their laundry detergents a couple of months later, they needed to. They’ve finally got everything sorted and are back on track, but Marcus wants to look outside of the company for help in taking them in a new positive direction and he’s personally selected his top five choices, which includes us. I get the impression it would feel like more of consulting position compared to what we normally do for clients, but we will know more when you meet with them this Thursday.”

“This Thursday? Are you kidding? That’s way too soon? You’re giving us a day and a half to get something together?” Harry voices Louis’ thoughts exactly.

“No of course not. They are in London this week and what to come in for an initial meeting, so they can tell us in detail what they are looking for and what they hope we can bring to the table. Then they are giving us three weeks to work on the project before giving them our pitch. I don’t think I have to spell it out for you both that this is huge, it could totally change our entire company, what with the kind of money and exposure a brand like Dashel & Moore could bring to us.”

Harry and Louis both glance at each other and then nod their heads at James. Louis is desperate to ask what this all means for the global exec promotion, but he doesn’t know if now is the right time. Harry apparently feels differently. “What about Jeff’s job, won’t Louis and I working so closely together affect your decision making process?” Louis can feel him watching him out the corner of his eye to see what his reaction is to the question.

James is the one that shifts uncomfortably though. “Ah, yes, I knew you’d worry about that. Ben and I will simply have to make the decision based on your entire body of work to date as well and your contribution over next couple of months.” That’s exactly what Louis was worried about, because he knows that Harry will blow him out the water when it comes to numbers on a page. Fuck sake. And now he is going to spend even more time with him too. This is literally going from bad to worse.

“OK, well I guess we better get started then?” Harry says eagerly. This guy is such a brown-nosing dickhead.

“Yes, definitely, I’m glad you are both on board.” James looks at Louis as if waiting for him to say he isn’t actually all that on board, but Louis is aware that he needs to keep on everyone’s good side to have any hope of things going his way, so he stays silent and smiles back. “I’ll organise for the junior execs to take on your current workload for the next month so you have a clean slate, I want you both to be solely focused on this.”

They both agree and say their goodbyes to James, making their way out of his office side by side. Louis wants to get away from Harry as quickly as possible so he can get back to office and scream into his chair cushion until his face is purple but Harry has other ideas. “So, you wanna come to my office and we can start going over stuff for Thursday?”

“Yeah… I guess we can.” Louis says in defeat.

 

______________

  

The initial meeting with Dashel & Moore goes well. They meet Genevieve, who is their VP of Marketing and Brand, the main person they will be reporting to should they get the account. She seems to warm to both Harry and Louis, and the feeling is mutual, she’s enthusiastic but clearly doesn’t take any shit from anyone, knows what she is looking for and is willing to say it without beating around the bush. Louis likes her immensely from the get go, which does make the prospect of working on this whole thing a lot more positive. Just a shame Harry is still involved. 

It’s 6pm the following day and Louis is sitting with Liam in the bar that’s down the street from their office. Niall would normally join them for an after work drink but he’s having a weekend away with Hailee. Louis’ already onto his third pint now having left the office a little early and he’s trying to convince Liam to hack into Harry’s work emails because he’s pretty sure Harry’s up to something dodgy and is trying to sabotage the firm. 

“Louis. You are out of your fucking mind. For a start, it would be completely unethical and inappropriate to do that without just cause, which I know you don’t have. Secondly, it would probably get me fired. And thirdly, you need to get off this weird vendetta you have against him. I mean you are usually bad with new people but this is getting seriously out of hand.”

“I’m not bad with new people.” He also wants to argue that just his gut feeling about Harry should be enough for ‘just cause’ but he’s not entirely convinced that would hold up in Liam’s subsequent disciplinary hearing so he decides not to push it.

“You refused to speak to me for two months when I first started, and the only reason you did was because you locked yourself out of your work laptop and I said I’d only fix it if you came to the pub with Niall and I.”

“And look where we are now, I mean, we’d probably be married if you liked sucking dick. And I get the impression there isn’t a lot of dick sucking in most marriages anyway so you’re basically my common law husband.” He kisses Liam playfully on the cheek.

“Exactly. I forced you to give me a chance, and I think you should do the same for Harry. And he actually does like sucking dick from what I’ve heard.” Liam tells him.

Louis clucks his tongue. “Now who’s being inappropriate without just cause.”

As if right on cue, Harry walks through the front door, with Zayn hot on his heels. His eyes sweep the room before landing on Louis and Liam and he smiles wide, giving a small wave, then mimes drinking, clearly asking if either of them need another beverage. Louis is about to raise his hand and mime ‘wanker’ back at him but before he gets a chance Liam gives Harry a thumb up and raises his almost empty glass, mouthing ‘two pints’, Harry nodding in understanding before heading to the crowed bar with Zayn in tow.

“What is he doing here?” Louis hisses through gritted teeth.

“I’m not sure, but I think there’s a chance he might be about to have a pint with his co-workers.”

“But why? Did you invite him?”

Liam smirks. “I did.”

Louis crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. “I’m divorcing you. Don’t suck dick and you stab me in the back. I’m taking you for every penny you’ve got Payne.”

“Now darling, there is no need for that, we can all get along nicely.” Liam replies, tapping Louis on his knee.

“Liam, you don’t understand, this is my down time, my chance to unwind from the stresses of my working week. And you have invited the human embodiment of my stress here and you’re asking me to bloody talk to it.”

“Can you just make an effort. For me. Please?”

"Fine. But you’re buying me all my drinks. I’ll need to be half cut if I have to listen to him talk about the benefits of adding avocados to my diet again.”

 

_____________

 

So as it turns out, Drunk Louis doesn’t hate Drunk Harry. Drunk Louis actually quite likes Drunk Harry. And Drunk Louis absolutely loves Drunk Zayn, probably more than he loves Drunk Liam.

The first hour together had been somewhat tense. Louis had pretty much refused to initiate conversation and Liam had kicked him under the table a grand total of thirteen times before he got the message that he was being what could possibly be perceived as rude. Not that it really mattered, Harry was too busy thinking of more questions to ask him to notice that Louis didn’t really want to speak to him.

After that though, when the pints had been swapped for darker, stronger liquids, Louis had loosened up and started to enjoy himself. Turns out he and Zayn have a lot in common. They have similar tastes in music, often going to the same clubs in and around London, enjoy the same movies, and even worked out that they had used the same weed dealer when they had both first moved to the city as teens. It was a wonder they hadn’t met before now.

The four of them were having a good laugh, Louis has to admit, and even though some of it is based on Louis teasing Harry, Harry is actually giving as good as he gets, even getting Liam on side to do it with him, the banter flowing effortlessly between the group. There is something not quite right though and at one point Harry announces he’s going to the toilet then the bar for another round, and skulks off with a pout.

“What’s up with Harry?” Liam turns to Zayn.

“Aw dunno. Probably just a bit jealous,” Zayn shrugs.

“Jealous? Of what?” Liam continues.

“Because I’m getting on with Louis,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“What? Why would he be jealous you are getting on with me?” Louis asks.

“Because he’s been desperate for you two to get on since he started and he’s getting nowhere.” He addresses the man to his left. “So what _is_ your deal with Harry then?” Zayn challenges.

“I don’t have a ‘deal’ with him. And what do you mean he is desperate for us to get on?” Louis is intrigued.

“Whatever mate, you clearly do, you’ve been pretty cold with him. You must know that? And maybe desperate is the wrong word. Harry’s naturally a people pleaser, and likes to get on with everyone, it’s why people warm to him so much. But while he understands that you’re going to be cautious of him, you’ve been downright rude. I only actually came here tonight because he begged me to, and I did because he is one my best mates, but I told him he was crazy for giving you his time of day after the way you have treated him the last few weeks. He’s convinced you two can be friends or something though. And now I think he might be right, because you are actually a laugh and seem like a decent guy. You need to just get off your crusade and give him a chance.”

“Amen to that!” Liam proclaims, holding his fist out to Zayn, which he happily bumps with his own fist back.

Louis isn’t happy about them ganging up on him. “I think that’s a bit unfair. I mean, he’s my competition, I’m not exactly going to be besties with him am I? And I took him to lunch! Twice!”

“Yeah, and the whole time you were there he said you acted like you were being tortured and barely spoke when all he was doing was trying to get to know you better, and then you lied and fobbed him off the rest of the time saying you had to work through your lunches. He’s not stupid you know. And no one is asking you to be best friends with the bloke. Just don’t be such a dick. You do have to work together after all, especially now with this big pitch you guys will be doing. I’m sure even the toughest competitors get on fine outside the locker room, you just need to do it in the metaphorical sense.”

Louis doesn’t know what to say. He has his reasons for not liking Harry, and he supposes some of them could be deemed a little unreasonable. And being called out by Zayn, someone who barely knows him, is quite frankly jarring. But has he really being that awful? Maybe he could back off a little, because although Louis knows he can be difficult, he isn’t a cruel person. He also can’t really fault Harry’s perseverance in the face of adversity, Louis being the apparent adversity he is facing. And they have been having a laugh tonight. Hmmm.

So it’s now 1am, and all four of them are properly pissed. They’ve moved on to some dive bar that Zayn suggested and they look completely out of place in their work gear. Actually, Harry doesn’t, since he’s removed his suit jacket and undid most of the buttons on his shirt and now looks like a rock star. He’s also a very cuddly drunk. He’d spent half an hour clambering over Zayn, whispering about how much he loved his best mate and had missed him in New York, but now he’s moved on to Louis.

“Lou-eh, please don’t hate me, I’m not that bad yeah? I’ll be less annoying. You can tell me to fuck off if you need to. I’m not all bad. I can take it,” Harry slurs. He’s got his arm draped round Louis’s neck and his face pressed up against the side of Louis’ head. He’s a little sweaty but he’s warm and smells pretty good now that Louis thinks about it.

“You’re fine Styles. You’re fine. I’ve been a prick. It’s all fine.” Louis mumbles back, squeezing Harry’s knee.

“Yeah? We’re ok? Mmmmm…” He snuggles in to Louis even more. “That makes me happy. So happy Lou-eh. Don’t want you to hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. Just need to give me some space sometimes. Not try so hard. And I’ll not be such a arse to you. Deal?” Louis wraps his arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him in closely to his side.

“Deal.” He kisses Louis’ cheek then pulls a way, practically rolling himself up from the table and traipsing to the toilet, unsteady on his feet like a new born foul. Louis watches him go silently.

“Well he seems happier.” Liam says, returning to the table after walking passed Harry coming from the bar where he has been chatting up a pretty brunette in a red dress for the last few minutes.

“Nice of you to return to us Liam, the girl finally put you out your misery and say no after your hard graft?”

“Got her number actually so kiss my ass Tommo.” He sits down beside Louis. “But seriously, you and Harry sort shit out?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna lay off him a bit. He’s not so bad.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you. Always listen to Payno.” Liam informs him, slapping his hand on Louis’ back.

 

________________

  

And he isn’t so bad. Now that Louis is actively trying to not get irritated by Harry’s mere presence in his life, he quickly discovering he is fairly easy to get on with. Now, Louis hasn’t done a complete one eighty in a day or anything, but it does make it easier to work with him, especially as they are living in each other’s pockets at the moment, there is so much to do for this pitch; the company research, the brains storming, the focus groups, the planning and execution of media, the writing of their presentation. It’s a lot, and they haven’t been given a huge amount of time to do it all. Genevieve has been great, and in contact regularly to keep up to speed with how things are progressing for them, even giving them the odd pointer here and there as to what Marcus does and doesn’t like, before they deliver the final pitch, but its still a shit load of work to do.

“I can’t believe you are eating a pizza.” Louis watches avidly as Harry chows down on a mouthful of deep pan cheesy pepperoni.

Harry swallows before answering. “I do eat bad things you know, just not often. Makes me feel yucky if I eat too much of it.”

“Well I live for pizza. Bring on the cheese and carbs any day of the week.” He grabs another slice for himself from the box sitting between them. They had been stuck at the office working late into the evening when Louis had suggested getting a takeaway. It had been Harry who had then suggested getting pizza.

“Louis you really shouldn’t. I mean you have a good body now, but it’ll start to catch up with you?” He says flippantly.

Louis’ chokes a little on the food in his mouth. “You think I have a good body?”

“No, I meant, like health wise.” Harry looks like he might be blushing. It’s quite cute.

Louis smiles at him, “I see.”

Harry tries to change the subject. “There was an amazing pizza place in New York near where I lived, slices bigger than you head. You’d love it.”

“Do you miss it?” Louis asks thoughtfully.

“What the pizza?”

“No, New York, idiot.”

“Oh I see,” he laughs, “sort of I guess. I mean it’s an amazing city, nothing like it in the world, but it never really felt like home. And when I split with my ex, it kinda felt even less like it.”

“What happened?” Louis asks without even thinking. “If it’s not too personal to ask,” he tacks on.

“It’s fine.” Harry puts down the piece of crust he’s holding and takes a swig of his Diet Coke before continuing. “Um, well short version I guess is I met Daniel, my ex, when he was over here on business, he works for a big American bank. He used to have to come over quite a lot and I visited him a few times too, so it was long distance for the first year or so. It was going really well, so I started looking for a job over there and I found Corden Winston who were willing to sponsor my working visa, and I moved straight in with Dan. The first six months were great, but it became increasingly obvious that we only worked well in short doses, which was why the long distance thing had lasted. The next twelve months were pretty brutal, and then he finished it, telling me he’d been shagging a guy from his work and as well as girl from his gym.”

“Holy shit. That _is_ brutal. He just came out and told you that?” Louis asks shocked. He can’t imagine someone dampening Harry’s spirit like that, he’s always such positive guy. It does make Louis feel a bit guilty that he might have done something like that when they first met.

“Yup, pretty much. To be honest though, I wasn’t surprised. We both knew it was over long before it was, and we hadn’t slept together in months. We had barely even seen each other and we were more like passing ships at the end. We had literally nothing in common, just each other. He was much more into going to out to ridiculously expensive bars and restaurants to see and be seen, and I’m more of a chilling with my mates in the pub or watching a rom-com in bed.”

“You don’t like to be seen? Have you seen the clothes you wear?” Louis teases. Harry replies by sticking his tongue out at him. “Still though. To do that to someone you are meant to love and care for, it’s just cruel.” Louis shakes his head in disbelief, reaching for his third slice. 

“I don’t believe we loved each other. Not truly. It was just a sort of holiday romance that got out of hand I’ve realised. This will make me sound awful but I was genuinely more upset about leaving his apartment than him. He had the most gorgeous apartment near Central Park.” He hides his face in his hands embarrassed, looking through his fingers.

“I think you mean the most gorgeous flat,” Louis tells him with a wink.

“Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to.” Harry drops his hands and returns with a wink of his own.

“So is that why you came back to London, because you had to move out?” He takes a bite of the slice in his hand.

“No, I was there another six months, but while I had made friends and everything, I didn’t feel all that in love with the place, and knew it wasn’t for me long term so I was already feeling restless. When my sister announced she was expecting a baby, that was the final sign I needed to come back, so I spoke to James and Ben and said that if anything came up over here to give me a call. Three months later I was on the plane back to London.”

“Gotcha.” Louis shifts a little uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of what else to say.

Harry must pick up on Louis’ unease. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would cause such an upset me coming back here.”

Louis sits back and wipes his hands on a napkin, having finished eating. “It’s not your fault really. You didn’t know me from Adam, I probably would have done the same thing in your position truth be told.”

“Mmm. Still sorry though.” There’s a few seconds of awkward silence before Harry speaks again. “So, now that I’ve revealed some of my dirty relationship drama, you got any you want to spill?”

Louis thinks about it for a few seconds but he can’t think of anything off the top of his head. “Uh, not really? I’ve never been with someone long enough to move in with them or have anything that serious. Did go on a date once with a guy that somehow admitted he liked the smell of burned hair.”

“Burned hair? Are you serious?” Harry asks appalled.

“Yeah, he had a shaved head. Not sure if that was a related. It’s safe to say I only slept with him a couple of times after that.” Harry gawks at him. “I’m kidding! I didn’t sleep with him. Jesus.”

“I was going to say,” he laughs.

Louis checks his watch, surprised at the time. “Wow, can’t believe how late it’s got.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun I guess?” Harry bites his lip. He’s got quite nice lips, very pink.

“Oh yeah. So much fun spending studying bloody laundry detergent and oven cleaner.” Louis smile and replies sarcastically. “Let’s clean up yeah?”

“Sure.”

 

__________

 

That’s how it goes between Louis and Harry for the the rest of the time before the meeting, working away and chatting about random stuff. It’s nice, even if Louis is aware of a different problem developing between them but for now he ignores it. He can’t ignore it forever though, and that’s all the more true when Zayn knocks on the Harry’s office on Tuesday afternoon.

“Hey Zee, what’s up?”

“Uh well Genevieve just called, she’s really sorry but they aren’t going to make it to London on Thursday, so they have asked you to fly out to their HQ in Frankfurt instead.”

Louis turns from where he is writing on a temporary white board set upon the middle of Harry’s office. “Well it’s frustrating, but I guess that’s fine. When do we leave?” He’s not feeling all that stressed about the pitch, knowing him and Harry are well prepared and are just putting final touches to their presentation together.

“I took the liberty of already booking you on to a flight tomorrow afternoon arriving at tea time, as your meeting is scheduled for 10.30am Thursday and thought you would prefer to be there and settled beforehand rather than racing from the airport that day. I did try and book you separate hotel rooms for tomorrow night but there is some massive international pharmaceutical conference going on at the same time in the city so anywhere that isn’t rat infested is completely booked up, so you’re going to have to share a twin room I’m afraid.” Zayn tells them.

No. Just. Just no. Louis can’t share a room with Harry. Why? Because the main repercussion of you no longer hating your new attractive colleague is you become increasingly aware of how attractive they bloody well are. Nope. He is not sharing a room with Harry, or a bathroom or, sleeping near him. This cannot happen.

“Ah well, guess we’ll just have to deal with it.” Harry says. Speak for your fucking self Styles, Louis thinks. He can’t say anything to say though that wouldn’t be mortifying, so he just smiles awkwardly at Zayn and thanks him for sorting everything out.

 

____________

 

It’s not like Louis meant for it to happen or anything. And it’s not like he actually _likes_ Harry or anything. But he has always thought Harry is nice looking, and his blinding hate for him has evaporated and made way for marginal lust, because well, Harry also appears relatively unaware of how fucking sexy he can be, what with the lip biting, and the winking and the way he walks into a room and anything he does with his hands. It’s an issue.

Louis spends the next twenty four hours in a state of general panic. He starts off fine, thinking it’ll all be OK in the end, and busying himself with literally anything he can think of to distract him, even resorting to deep cleaning his bathroom on Tuesday night in an effort to keep his mind from wandering too much. It’s a bit ridiculous that he is more nervous about sharing a room with Harry than he is about the actual meeting, but it’s not good to dwell any more than he has to.

When they get to the hotel the next day, however, is when things go further downhill for Louis. “Hello, check in for Tomlinson/Styles please?” He asks the receptionist at the front desk, Harry by his side.

“Certainly Sir, please let me welcome you both to the Radisson Frankfurt, I trust your journey to us today has gone well?” The receptionist, Karl according to his name badge, replies in accented English.

“Yes thank you.” Louis say, pulling out his company credit card which he will no doubt need to process the booking.

The two men wait as Karl taps a few keys on his keyboard. “Ah yes, here we are. We have you in a standard double on the 8th floor, and you’re with us for just the one night is that right?”

Louis’ heart jerks. “Uh no, not a double, it should be a twin.” This guy thinks that Harry and Louis are a couple? Do they look like a couple?

“Oh my mistake, let me just check.” Karl taps a few more keys and moves his mouse around. “Uh, I’m afraid the booking was in fact made for a double room Sir, confirmed at online checkout by a Mr Z Malik? Unfortunately we are fully booked due to a large conference taking place in the area over the next couple of days.” His implication that they will need to just take the double room is left unsaid.

Louis opens his mouth to tell him he’s going to have to get them a twin room anyway, even if that means Karl has to skip on up and saw the bed in half himself, when Harry says, “the double is fine.” Louis whips his head round to glare daggers at him, but Harry just shrugs his shoulders and whispers, “it’s just one night Louis, no point in putting up a fuss.”

Well there is, actually. Harry might be fine with sharing a bed with Louis but the feeling isn’t mutual. Not at all. He was struggling with the thought of sharing a room as it is but this is so much worse. He highly doubts that Harry is the type of man to wear baggy thermal pyjamas that cover him throat to ankle, which means skin, lots of Harry’s skin, up-close and almost personal for several hours while he tries to sleep. Urgh. OK, it’s fine. Louis can do this. He’s a professional. The twitch in his crotch might lead some to think differently but Louis is a God damn professional alright?

 

__________

 

Louis is not a professional. It’s three hours later, and he is sitting on their double bed with his laptop resting on his jean clad thighs, watching Harry down a bottle of water wearing nothing but gym shorts and trainers and dripping with sweat. The thoughts racing through Louis’ head are aren’t even on the spectrum of what could be remotely considered professional.

Once they had received their room key earlier, they had dumped their stuff in the room and grabbed some dinner in the hotel bar, going over last minute prep for the next day, discussing answers to possible questions Dashel & Moore might ask. Harry had then announced he was going to hit the hotel gym, using the bathroom to change into the aforementioned shorts, a faded Kiss t-shirt that had the words ‘Hot N Hard’ emblazoned on the back and a red bandana round his head. He’d been gone an hour, leaving Louis to catch up on emails and the like, but now he’s back and putting on a show that would put any 90’s Diet Coke advert to shame.

Louis’ a little unsure as to why the t-shirt has come off, maybe because Harry knows his sinewy, damp flesh is representing ‘Hot N Hard’ all by itself, but Louis’ not complaining, Harry having walked in the door with it draped over his right shoulder before quickly discarding it somewhere in the corner of the room. He was still panting, like he had run up all eight flight of stairs, and the resulting sweat from his workout has coated his torso in a shine that accentuates his physique while he lifts one arm to wipe his brow and the other to bring the water bottle to lips.

“You know you’re staring?” Harry says suddenly, shaking Louis from his stupor. Louis moves his eyes up and watches him as he wipes his pouty, pink lips of excess water with the back of his hand just to lick them wet again with the tip of his tongue.

“Uh yeah, sorry, just looking at your tattoos.” Louis responds quickly. It’s not a complete lie, he was. But more because there’s droplets of moisture running down from Harry’s thick neck, past the inked swallows, between Harry’s pecs and over the butterfly tattoo on his abdomen, and Louis was wondering what they might taste like. Still, Harry doesn’t need to know that.

Harry glances down at himself, as if he may have forgotten he even has tattoos and looks back up. “Yeah, sure,” he scoffs, possibly not quite believing Louis. “I’m gonna go for a shower. You wanna join me?”

Louis’ eyes widen astronomically. “What? Shower? With you? Uh...”

Harry bursts out laughing. “It was a joke, but your face. God Louis, you really need to lighten up.”

“Fuck off.” Louis retaliates harmlessly, his heart still racing at the thought of being in a tight space with a naked, lathered up, soaking wet Harry Styles. 

“Will do.” Harry says, as he grabs some clean underwear and his wash-bag from his hold-all, before turning and strutting into the bathroom, still laughing to himself. He locks the door behind him and a few seconds later, Louis hears the unmistakable sound of the shower being switched on.

Louis has the very brief thought process of if he can get away with jerking himself off quickly enough before Harry has finished in the bathroom, but he realises he is being completely ridiculous. This is all just because he’s stressed about tomorrow, and he’s horny, having not been laid in about six months, and not been laid well in about a year. Harry just happens to be there and objectively speaking, purely objectively speaking, Harry is hot. And likes cock. And right now, any hot man that likes cock would be appealing to Louis.

He thinks he’s calmed himself by the time Harry reenters the room, towelling his damp hair. But then he notices that Harry has a little bit of tooth paste on the corner of his mouth that Louis could remove with a moist thumb or swipe of a tongue, and that Harry’s tight black boxers leave precisely fucking _nothing_ to the imagination, his apparently massive cock looking obscene under the stretched fabric. Louis throws his laptop on the bed beside him, jumps up off it like he’s been electrocuted and darts passed Harry, mumbling something about dying for a piss, slamming the door to the bathroom and locking it firming behind him.

The room is still steamy from Harry’s shower, and the whole thing reeks of him; his shampoo, his body wash, his cologne, just him really, so it’s a smidge suffocating. Louis starts running the cold tap in the sink, splashing some of the water on his face before wiping the condensation from the mirror and giving his reflection as stern talking to, telling himself to get a grip.

After a couple of minutes, he decides to have a shower, just to freshen himself up before bed. Nothing to do with him lying in close proximity to Harry or anything. He leaves the bathroom to discover Harry is now rubbing some sort of lotion onto himself. Bloody hell, it’s honestly like Harry actually wants Louis to bust all over the carpet. Louis can’t grab his own clean underwear and wash-bag quick enough.

He doesn’t jerk off in the shower. He probably should, but he doesn’t. It feels too weird knowing Harry is on the other side of the door. He just gets himself clean and dry, brushes his teeth, and moisturises his face because he likes to look after his skin. He feels better now, the majority of his restlessness having left down the drain with the dirty water. He may or may not have a swift reposition of his dick and balls in his briefs, you know, just so as to look presentable on the way back out.

Harry is already in the bed when he walks back through. He’s sitting up, knees bent up in front of him with the duvet up around his waist, bare torso on display. His head is looking down at what appears to be a book in his hands but Louis can’t see it from this angle, the lamp switched on beside basking him in a soft glow while he reads. His hair has dried really loose and curly and he’s got glasses on, big ones that take up half his face. He looks adorable, nauseatingly adorable and the whole picture in front of Louis screams domestic, a boyfriend or husband waiting in bed for his partner to come and join him or something. It makes Louis’ soul ache in a completely different way, for reasons he’s not quite sure. Maybe he just misses having someone to come home to occasionally. Harry must be engrossed because he hasn’t appeared to have clocked Louis coming back in, so Louis goes about sorting his suit for tomorrow and packing his clothes from earlier away so he doesn’t have to worry about it in the morning.

“You OK?’ Harry asks his back a couple of minutes later.

“Yeah, all good. You?” Louis replies, zipping his hold-all up and turning round to walk over to the bed and climb in, lying down flat and pulling the duvet up to his ribcage. He might be wrong but he thinks Harry might have looked him up and down as he did it.

“Yeah good. Can I just finished this chapter then I’ll turn the light off?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Factotum by Charles Bukowski.” Louis recognises the name but doesn’t know the book.

“Good?”

Harry shrugs. “Not long started it really. But I’ve read a couple of his other works.”

“Cool.” Louis isn’t sure what else to say and doesn’t want to disturb him any longer so he rolls over, grabbing his phone from the beside table, setting the alarm and placing it back. Harry only reads for five more minutes before plunging the room into darkness and settling down beside Louis for the night.

 

___________________

 

Forty five minutes later, Louis is still wide awake. He’s tossing and turning what feels like every five seconds, and has punched his pillow fifteen times to try and get it into a shape that’s comfortable for his head with little success. He’s never going to get to sleep at this rate.

And he’s not the only one.

The beside lamp switches on beside him and he feels Harry moving to sit up with his back to the headboard. “You alright over there?”

“Urgh no.” Louis sits up too, mimicking Harry’s position. “I can’t get to sleep.”

“I gathered. Do you want me to sleep on the floor?”

That’s actually a pretty decent offer of him, Louis thinks, but that’s not the issue. Well, not the only issue anyway. ’It’s not that. I’m just too wired about tomorrow. Aren’t you?’

“A bit I guess. But the way I see it is we’ve worked our bollocks off for this pitch, and if we don’t get it, we don’t get it. I’ll still be able to walk away with my head held high knowing we did all we could.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” Louis plays with the fabric of the duvet between his fingers.

“You just need to loosen up a little. Want to raid the mini bar?” Harry suggests.

“Nah, want to have a clear head for the morning.” Normally a whisky or two would do just the trick for Louis, but he doesn’t want to take any chances that he isn’t one hundred percent on his A game tomorrow.

“Yeah that’s fair. I’m pretty sure the hotel gym is open twenty four hours, could maybe go for a run or a swim to tire yourself out?”

“I didn’t bring anything that I could run in, or trunks.” He doesn’t want to say to Harry that he’s also allergic to exercise.

“We could always have sex?”

Louis laughs and turns to Harry. “Yeah, good one.”

“I was being serious.” Harry’s frowning, like he was actually being serious.

“We can’t have sex.” It’s a tempting thought, of course it is. But he knows they can’t, they work together for fuck sake.

“Why not? It’ll relieve tension and tire us out, and we don’t even have to leave the room to do it.”

“Please tell me you’re joking?” Louis cannot _believe_ he isn’t joking.

“Give me one good reason why we can’t.” Harry isn’t joking.

“I can think of fifty.”

“Such as…” Harry’s looking at Louis with his eyebrows raised like he has the audacity to presume Louis can’t think of fifty reasons.

“We don’t like each other.”

“But we don’t dislike each other? You have to admit we have been getting on a lot better than when I first started. And hey, angry sex can be pretty good? You can get any remaining pent up rage you may still be harbouring against me out,” Harry says with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Angry sex can be very good. Louis doesn’t tell Harry that though, doesn’t think it will help his case.

“We work together. It’ll be awkward in the office.”

“I don’t see why. I mean, we’re both adults, we can be adult about the situation can’t we? It’s just sex. There’s no need for any drama afterwards.” See, what Harry has shrewdly done there is, is create what we like to call a ‘lose-lose’ situation for Louis. If he doesn’t agree, he’s going to come across like he can’t be an adult here, and Louis always acts like an adult, despite what you may have been led to believe. And if he does agree? Well, he’s one step closer to having sex with Harry. Hmmm.

“We don’t have any of the stuff that we’d need.” 

“I do.”

“You do? Oh my god. We’re you planning to seduce me this whole time?" Louis completely ignores the little swoosh in his belly at the thought.

“No of course not. I’ve got a condom in my wallet like a lot of single men do, you know, just in case. And I always have lube in my washbag.”

“Jesus, why?”

“Because I travel a lot for work. And you know how it is. You’re bored and alone in a hotel room, the mind wanders…"

Louis’s brain is immediately flooded with images of a bored Harry alone in a hotel room. Naked. Hard. Slicking himself up. He furiously shakes his head to get rid of them. “Urgh forget I asked.”

Harry laughs at him. “Any other reasons?”

Louis was _so_ sure he could think of fifty. Dammit.

“Why do you want this to happen so much?” Louis eyes him suspiciously.

Harry shrugs his shoulders. “I’m not desperate or anything. But I do want to sleep, and I don’t think that’s going to happen with you rolling around like you’re practicing rhythmic gymnastics beside me all night. And if I happened to get laid in the process, well, that’s just a bonus.”

“We’re not having sex.” Louis simply will not allow that to happen.

“Cool, was just an idea.” Harry appears fairly unbothered.

“I’m going to sleep.” Louis shuffles back down to lie flat on the bed again and turns over to face away from Harry before he can even respond.

“OK. Night.” Harry switches off the lamp and Louis feels him shuffling back down too.

The silence lasts all of three and a half minutes.

“If we do have sex.”

Harry shuffles back and turns the lamp back on. “Yes?”

“And I’m not saying we will. But if we do, we cannot mention it ever again.” Louis cannot _believe_ he is entertaining this idea. He shuffles back up too. Fucking hell, there’s a lot of shuffling going on here.

“I can work with that.” Harry’s looking a little smug now.

“And there can be no kissing.” Louis tells him.

Harry frowns. “What do you think this is? Pretty Woman?”

“I happen to think you’d make an excellent Julia Roberts.” Louis is completely serious.

“Why am I always Julia Roberts in everyone’s rom-com?” Louis thinks Harry might be completely serious too. That’s a conversation for another day.

“We’re getting away from the point. I mean it. No kissing.”

“Louis. Be reasonable. It’s sex. There needs to be kissing.”

“Fine. Minimal kisses.”

“OK.”

“OK.”

There’s silence for a few seconds.

“So… should I… Um… Go get the stuff?

“Yes Styles,” Louis sighs, “go get the stuff before I change my mind.”

“OK.” Harry leans over and kisses Louis quickly on the cheek. “It’s gonna be fun. I promise.”

He jumps up and out the bed with a little too much enthusiasm for someone who’s ‘not desperate or anything’ and slips into the bathroom, where Louis can hear him rummaging through what he presumes is his wash-bag, so he uncovers himself of the duvet and moves to sit on top of it. Harry returns and shouts ‘catch’ but throws the miniature bottle of lube before Louis can react so it hits him on the shoulder. He doesn’t see Louis’ scowl though as he fishes his wallet out of his holdall and removes what looks like two condoms packets. Someone’s obviously feeling a tad optimistic. 

He returns and places the condoms on the beside side table, before climbing on to the foot of the bed by Louis’s feet and sits in a kneeling position with his bum resting on his calves. “So uh… how’d you wanna do this?”

“You mean like what position?”

“Sure.”

“I don’t know. What do you do want to do?”

“Uh, could do doggie? Or could stick to missionary? Or on our sides?” Harry could be discussing ice-cream flavours from the way he is speaking. He’s either never had sex, or he’s had way too much. Louis doesn’t know what would be worse. “Or you could ride me?”

“What makes you assume I’m a bottom?” Louis feels like he should be offended. Harry goes to open his mouth, but Louis holds up his palm. “You know what? Don’t answer that. Let’s just see what happens yeah?”

“Cool. Do you want to open yourself up or do you want me to do it?”

Louis groans. “Oh for God’s sake, there is more discussion going on here than at a United Nations summit. You said this was going to be fun. Just bloody do something would you?”

Harry salutes with his right hand, “Aye, aye Captain.” Before Louis can form a scathing reply, Harry is grabbing him by the ankles and dragging him down the bed so quickly Louis lets out a very undignified squawk. He swings his leg over Louis’ thighs so he straddling him and grabs one of Louis’ wrists in each hand and pins them on either side of Louis’ head. “Sex with Louis Tomlinson. This is one that I’d never thought would happen,” he laughs. Louis wants to ask why not, or more importantly, why Harry was even thinking about the possibility of having sex with him in the first place, but he’s too distracted by Harry’s mouth on his.

So the kissing is good. Very good. Mind blowing in fact. Louis is a little annoyed because it means Harry was right about allowing it, but not annoyed enough to like, you know, stop it or anything. Harry’s mouth tastes minty like his toothpaste, but there is something else there, something sweet he likes that Louis can’t quite pinpoint. He’s happy to keep trying though. He goes to run his hands through Harry’s hair but he can’t, his wrists are still in Harry’s unwavering grasp. He kinda likes that too actually.

After a few minutes, Harry shifts his head from Louis’ face and moves round to nibble along the underside of Louis’ jaw until he gets to just below Louis’ ear. He makes to suck on the skin there, but Louis nudges him with his knee. “No marks. Meeting tomorrow remember?” Harry begrudgingly acquiesces, and pulls back until he’s looking in Louis’ eyes.

“Im going to do it where they won’t see ok?”

He says it as a question, but Louis gets the distinct impression it’s not. He’s pretty confident Harry’s going to do it regardless. Louis pretends to think about it, just for show. He doesn’t need to think about it though. He wants it. Wants Harry to mark him up a lot. That’s probably a thought he should dissect at a later date though, so he simply nods his head.

Harry hums happily and shifts down to Louis’ collarbone and proceeds to suck bruises along it, running his tongue over them to dull the hurt once he’s satisfied with his work. He finally let’s go of Louis’ wrists, shifting to grip onto the meat of Louis’ hips, and starts moving down Louis’ body, using his teeth and tongue to graze the skin on his way. Louis isn’t sure what to do with his own hands. He wants to touch Harry, but he also doesn’t really want to distract him, so he just moves to fist the bed sheets instead. When Harry gets to Louis’ nipples, he pauses, taking each of them in between his teeth in turn, first the left, then the right, then the left again, sucking on them and biting down hard enough for Louis to yelp, but also hard enough for Louis’ cock to harden up completely, blurting out pre-come into his boxers every time he feels the sting. Louis can feel Harry grin against his skin at his reaction to it, and he can also feel Harry harden against his thigh too. Fuck, Louis thinks, he feels even bigger than he looked earlier. It makes his mouth water at the thought.

Harry decides to move on, running his tongue down Louis’ middle, licking into Louis’ belly button. Louis can’t help the giggle that escapes him, because, well, it bloody tickles. Harry lifts his head slightly to look up at Louis’ face and raises his eyebrows in question as if to say ‘really?’ but he must see Louis’ face of not giving a shit, so just laughs it off himself and carries on down to the waistband of Louis’ boxers. He sucks another blemish onto the taught skin of Louis’ hipbone and sits back on to his knees. He thumbs at the purpling brand, a satisfied look on his face, clearly pleased at seeing the fruits of his labour so prominent against the golden backdrop that is Louis’ flesh.

“Where’d you put the lube?”

“Oh, uh… here.” Louis reaches beside him and finds the small bottle. “Do you want me to do it then?”

“No.” Harry replies hastily, reaching up to take it from him. “I wanna do it.”

“Yeah?” Louis grins at Harry’s eagerness.

Harry smiles softly back. “Yeah. That OK?”

“Sure.”

Louis watches as Harry covers his fingers of his right hand in the slippery substance and throws the bottle onto the pillow opposite to make it easy to find later. He’s then pulling Louis’s underwear down with his left and off the end of his feet. Louis thought he would hate this part, being completely naked and hard for the first time in front of Harry, but it’s actually the complete opposite, because Harry is looking at him as if he has been given his Christmas presents early.

“Nice Louis. You look really fucking nice.” Harry tells him as he spreads Louis’ thighs and leans down to bury his face in his groin, and inhaling deeply. “Smell good too. God, can’t wait to fuck you now.” He murmurs against the skin at the top of Louis’ inner thigh, before sinking his teeth in, making Louis jolt. Louis would say something in return, something about Harry hurrying things up then, but he’s enjoying himself to much to rush him, letting Harry bite and kiss at any part of Louis he feels so inclined to.

Louis feels a wet finger circle his rim and slip in to the first knuckle, twisting back and forth before encroaching onwards, at the same time Harry’s mouth sucks on the tip of Louis’ cock, tongue swirling at the wet slit to spread the pre-come. “Holy shit,” Louis gasps, not expecting both sensations at the same time, his hand coming down tangle into Harry’s chestnut curls and his eyes closing in serenity. Harry spends the next few minutes working Louis up, until he’s taking so much of Louis dick it’s hitting the back of his throat, his moans resonating through Louis’ whole being. He’s got two fingers in Louis’ hole now, brushing against his prostate. That’s when Louis makes the stupid decision to open his eyes again and look down.

“Fuck, Styles, oh my God. You’re gonna have to stop.” He says tugging at his locks. Harry looks positively pornographic, his raspberry lips stretched round Louis, eye lashes fluttering, the chiselled jaw working away and cheeks hollowed like he’s getting paid for it. The man’s face was simply made for sucking cock. Louis needs it to stop.

Harry pulls off but only slows down the movement of his hand. “Why, is it not good?” Christ, even his fucking voice sounds better after having a dick in his throat.

“What? No! Fuck, it’s too good, I’m gonna come so hard if you continue like that.”

“Lou, that’s OK, you can come in my mouth if you want? You can come again afterwards when I fuck you.” He says it like he thinks Louis is crazy for thinking he couldn't.

“No, no it’s fine.” Trying to hide his giddiness at the prospect.

“I want you to. Please?” Louis doesn’t have a chance respond before Harry’s pressing Louis’ cock against his belly and suctioning on his balls for a few seconds before licking a fat stripe up the full length of his prick and taking him back in all the way down to the root, all the while scissoring his fingers and fitting a third in. It only takes another minute or so before Louis is coming in surges with a groan, Harry swallowing it all greedily. Once he’s done, he pulls his hand from Louis’ rim and scratches lightly at Louis’ taint, making the smaller man shudder in his post orgasm delirium. 

Harry’s thumb wipes at the corner of his mouth, collecting a drop of missed release and his pink tongue peeks out to collect it from the pad. “Taste amazing, Lou.” He’s kneeling now, underwear cast aside, reaching over to grab the condom and lube, and setting about getting himself prepared to get inside. He’s fumbling a little, like he needs to do it as quickly as possible. Louis may have just climaxed but the sight of Harry rock hard and yearning for it is already reigniting the fire within him.

When Harry fists his prick to get himself and the rubber slick he says, “You good?”

Louis nods. “Fantastic. Come on, want you.”

Harry shuffles forward and grabs the back of Louis’s knees, pushing them up and in towards Louis’ shoulders, bending him almost in half. “Can you hold yourself like that?

“Yeah,” Louis breathes out, gripping onto the back of his own thighs, feeling exposed and eager. Harry lines himself up, nudging the head of his cock into Louis’ rim before placing his palms on the bed beside Louis’ head and driving himself forward. He’s huge. He’s so fucking massive and Louis’ breath gets caught in his windpipe while he tries to relax because Harry is filling him up steadily and he is just so God damn. Fucking. Massive. And it feels absolutely incredible.

“Jesus Christ Lou. You’re so tight. Are you OK? Fuck should I stop?” Harry exclaims, looking at Louis straight in the eyes.

“If you stop now, Styles, I’ll fucking break it off you and do it myself.” He chokes out.

Harry bursts out laughing, forced to pause just to get his bearings back after Louis’ outburst. Louis can’t help but huff out a laugh either but wriggles a little to get Harry’s attention back to the matter at hand. Getting the message, Harry sinks himself the rest of the way into Louis’ compact walls. He leans down and connects their lips for the first time in what feels like hours, pulling out and pushing back in with the same unhurried speed.

He builds up a pace, screwing Louis in strong, smooth strokes while he fucks his tongue into Louis’ mouth, pressing his body right up against him so their skin is touching as much as possible, and Louis’ cock is enjoying the friction immensely, already fattening up again. Harry has found that magic spot deep inside and he’s striking it ferociously like his life depends on it, and Louis knows even if his lips were free from Harry he wouldn’t be able to utter a comprehensible word right now if he tried.

Minutes later, Louis starts clenching down around Harry to warn him of his impending combustion in lieu of any proper vocabulary. “So fucking good Lou, God I’m gonna come. You gonna come? Gonna soak me aren’t you, show me how fucking good you can be?” Harry mutters, having pulled away from Louis when it was clear Louis no longer had the capacity to do anything with his mouth. Louis’ never been fucked this well before, he’s sure of it, and he’s rocketing towards his end again with every nuance in Harry’s voice. “Can I come on you? Louis? Can I come on your face or chest? Just on you somewhere? Please? Shit. Want you covered in me.” Louis nods his head. Harry can come anywhere he wants when he is this fucking good at sex.

Harry withdraws, and rips the condom off, leaving Louis feeling empty but Harry shoves his fingers into his hole in place of a dick, while simultaneously jerking his own. Louis’ legs fall open lazily, now that Harry’s body isn’t close enough to help keep them tight to his chest, providing Harry with the perfect canvas. Harry comes first, and comes fucking everywhere, painting Louis from below his navel all the way up to his neck. Louis comes a minute later, Harry practically fisting him with almost his whole hand inside him he’s been stretched that wide, and the other wrapped round the head of his cock, coating Harry’s stomach in repayment. Harry extracts his hand cautiously from Louis’ rim, and brings it up to Louis’ boneless body to massage his release into Louis skin. He pants air back into his own lungs, a look of complete bliss on his face before leaning down to kiss Louis’ slack mouth. It’s all a bit disgusting but Louis thinks it’s the perfect end oddly enough, and he’s honestly too fucked out to even care.

Sometime later, when they have both been wiped down clean by Harry’s hand and they are back under the covers, Louis racks his brain for something to say, to acknowledge what the hell just happened between them both, wondering if Harry is doing the same thing in his own head.

But no words come, only a dreamless sleep for them both.

 

__________

 

They have sex again the following morning. It’s after they’ve both brushed their teeth but before either of them have showered, like they both knew it was going to happen before it did. There’s considerably less conversation in the lead up, just a mumble from Harry of “could chill us out for when we get there” and Louis replying by placing a condom in Harry’s palm.

They fuck standing up, hard and fast, Harry’s chest to Louis back, one hand on Louis’s lower stomach and the other arm wrapped around his rib cage. Louis has to grip onto the side of the dressing table just to help him stay upright, his knuckles turning white as Harry drives himself into him over and over and over again.

Harry’s teeth stay imbedded in Louis’s left shoulder almost the entire time, like he’s trying to stop himself from shouting something out; what, is anyone’s guess. It hurts a bit, the bite, it couldn’t not, but the combination of the pain and the knowledge that Harry is adding to the marks he made the night before makes Louis’ vision go blurry around the edges. 

Just as they both reach their pinnacle, Harry’s hand comes up to hold Louis’ throat and his mouth comes up to Louis’ ear and he growls “that’s it, just fucking take it, take me, all of me.” It sends Louis over the edge, coming untouched all over himself, and Harry joins him just a couple of thrusts later, spilling into the condom before slipping out of Louis and offering him the bathroom first.

It’s not until he’s showering off his own come from his stomach that Louis realises Harry didn’t kiss him the entire time.

And it’s not until he’s buttoning up his crisp white shirt and slipping on his suit jacket that Louis realises he cares Harry didn’t.

 

__________

 

Three hours later, they’re shaking hands with the senior team of Dashel & Moore and thanking them for their time. “Mate, you absolutely smashed it in there” Louis tells his colleague as soon as they are out of earshot, “you were amazing!”

“Me? What about you?” Harry replies, squeezing Louis’s shoulder as they walk across the lobby and through the front door of the building. “You were on fire! When Adrian brought up the correlation between social media advertising and the recent privacy issues and GDPR laws, God, all I can say is watch out Mark Zuckerberg, never seen anything like it.”

Louis knows there’s a blush forming from his neck and spreading upwards, can’t help it, so he tries to deflect, “well you had them all like putty in your hands. Think we’ve got a great chance at this one. Can feel it in my bones.”

“Me too. Just frustrating we’ve got to wait a whole week to find out their decision.”

They come to a stop when they are on the pavement and turn to face each other, “I know right? Guess we’ll need to find ways to distract ourselves.” Harry raises his eyebrows in question, a little smirk on his lips and it dawns on Louis how that might have sounded. “Like…” he coughs, “… you know, the Vitamin Hair Care campaign and that meeting with the Fresco Restaurant Group.”

Harry grins, “Yeah, gotcha’. So you wanna grab some lunch? Saw a nice tapas bar round the corner, could be worth checking out? Could murder a glass of vino right about now.”

Louis fakes looking at his watch, like he’s considering it, “Oh well, it’s getting on, should probably head out to the airport, you never know what the traffic will be like in foreign cities do you?”

“Sure, yeah, guess you’re right.” Louis can’t help but notice Harry looks a little disappointed. “Let’s grab a taxi then, shall we?”

The truth is Louis doesn’t want to go for lunch with Harry, particularly with wine involved. He’s resolved to keep things all business between them, doesn’t want to blur the boundaries of their professional relationship. Well, any more than they already have. Last night and this morning were both hugely satisfying but somewhat profound in a way that they shouldn’t have been and Louis knows nothing like that can happen again without serious consequences.

At the airport, they both sit side by side in relative silence, tapping away on their laptops and sending a quick text here and there, right up until their flight is called. Once on plane, Harry pulls out his phone and brings up Spotify, plugging in his earphones and effectively ending any conversation the pair might have before it’s even begun, so Louis just closes his eyes and has a nap.

 

__________

 

“Nialler!!”

“Tommo!!”

The two men meet in firm hug at the arrivals gate of Heathrow Terminal 2. When they have pulled away, Niall and Harry shake hands in greeting. “Thanks for coming to pick us up mate, you know how much I hate the Heathrow express.” Louis says, rubbing Niall’s bicep in a friendly gesture with his palm.

“Aw no problem! And you know, wanted to hear the news straight from the horse’s mouth. So tell me, how’d it go?” Niall enquires.

Louis shrugs. “Good I think?” is all he says.

Harry scoffs. “He’s playing it down. We smashed it.”

“Yeah?” Niall looks between the two men.

“Yeah,” Louis grins, “Styles was great, they loved him.”

“So was Louis, should have seen him. Almost had a tear in my eye, had to keep my composure though.” Harry tries to look serious, but his teeth are in his bottom lip like he is suppressing a smile.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” Louis lightly punches him on the arm. “You can quit with the charm offensive now we’re out the meeting,” he laughs.

Niall watches their interaction with a smile on his face, eyeing Louis with a questioning glance, one Louis resolutely chooses to ignore. “Never doubted you lads for a second. And my graphics, how did they go down?”

“I think the words ‘visionary’ and ‘modern day Da Vinci’ were banded about.” Louis replies, managing to keep a straight face. 

Niall laughs, easily getting the joke. “Knew it, keep trying to tell you lot I’m ahead of my time, and you never listen. Right, let’s get back to the car and you can continue to tell me all about how amazing I am.”

Louis chuckles and shakes his head in disbelief. “Lead the way.”

 

__________

 

“Thanks for the lift Niall, catch you guys tomorrow?” Harry says as he opens the rear car door and sticks his leg out.

“Sure Styles, and well done again” Louis turns to tell him.

“You too.” With that Harry exits the car fully and shuts the door behind him. Louis watches him jog up the front steps of the apartment building and turns back to find Niall staring at him.

“So now that he’s gone…” Niall trails off

“Yes?”

“How did it actually go?”

“Great? Like we said?” Louis is confused. Was that not clear?

“Really? Thought you might be being diplomatic in front of him.”

“No, seriously, Harry was amazing, could have done the whole thing by himself, it was incredible to watch him in action really. If we don’t get the account, it wasn’t meant to be, I know there is literally nothing else we could have done.”

Niall’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, you slept together didn’t you?”

“What? Don’t be ludicrous.” Louis sneers, but turns to look out the passenger window to avoid Niall’s gaze.

“You fucking slept together.” He says it like a statement of fact.

“How could you even know that?” Louis questions him.

“Because he’s walking around dick first like the cat who got the cream and you just referred to him by his first name.”

“You cannot tell we slept together because of that.”

“Ha! So you admit it. You did sleep together. Fucking knew it.” Niall slaps his hand against the steering wheel in glee, “Liam owes me twenty quid.”

“What? Why?” Louis asks, forgetting that he should probably be trying to deny this a bit more.

“Bet him you’d shag before the pitch, he was convinced you’d hold out until afterwards.”

“You’re both fucking pricks.” He resigns to the fact that he won’t be able to lie himself out of this one. “If you tell a soul I swear to god I will have you fired quicker that you can say ‘foot long meatball marinara’.”

“Like you would get me fired. You’d miss me too much.” Niall is such a self-righteous little shit at times.

“Like a fucking hole in the head. But seriously, you can’t tell anyone. I mean it.”

Niall mimes zipping his mouth shut, locking it and throwing the key.

“It was a one time thing, just stress relief, we both know the score.”

“Whatever you say mate. You’re blatantly gonna shag again. I feel a double or nothing bet coming on with Liam.”

“Niall don’t you fucking dare. And we won’t sleep together again. That is a categorical fact.” Louis kind of feels like he is saying it to convince himself just as much as Niall.

Niall laughs and holds his hands up in surrender, “OK, OK, I won’t say another word. So, wanna grab a burger and a couple of beers before I drop you off? Can give Payno a shout?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

__________

 

The next morning Louis’ having a bowl of Coco Pops with Zayn in the kitchen. It started off by them bonding over their mutual hatred of Harry’s healthy breakfasts a few weeks ago but it’s quickly become a sort of ritual to eat them together, which Louis likes.

“So the pitch went well then?” Zayn asks him out the corner of his mouth, chewing on a mouthful of cereal.

“Yeah really well. Think we’ve got a good chance.”

Zayn nods his head in understanding. “And you got a shag out of it as well.”

Louis almost drops his spoon. “What?”

“You and Haz, you guys had sex right?” Zayn asks with a raised eyebrow.

Louis whips his head round the room as if to double check they are alone then glares back at Zayn. “He told you?” he hisses.

“No. You just confirmed my suspicions though. I was at his last night for a few beers and when I apologised about fucking up by booking a double room instead of a twin he got all weird and cagey so I figured something had gone down. Don’t worry, you’re secret is safe with me.” He’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he swallows another mouth of cereal.

“I hate you,” Louis tell him.

“Well we all thought you hated Harry, and look how that turned out,” he winks. Louis looks down at the spoon is his hand, wondering how easy it would be to shove it down Zayn’s gullet. “I’m teasing. Even if I was into blokes, I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes babes.” He laughs. Louis does not find any of this funny.

That’s the moment that Harry, ever the expert at turning up when Louis least wants him to, enters the room.

“Morning guys. What have I missed?” He smiles expectantly. Louis groans and Zayn just laughs harder.

 

__________

 

After Zayn comes up with some bullshit story to appease Harry about what they were talking about, and essentially talks Louis down from the ledge, Harry and Louis fully debrief Ben and James about the Dashel & Moore meeting. Their bosses seem very happy, and they have already received a ‘great job, we’ll be in touch’ from Genevieve so things are looking positive so far. They go on to discuss the focuses for both men for the following week, and Louis is somewhat relieved that him and Harry will mainly be working on different projects now that they don’t have the pitch to focus on. Not that Louis wants to get away from him or anything, but he recognises that it’ll probably be good for them both, particularly given the amount of time they have spent together the last few weeks. And besides, he’ll still get to see Harry around the office, which strangely settles a squirmy feeling in his gut.

James tells them to take the rest of the day off and go off to enjoy their well earned weekend. Harry casually mentions he doesn’t have any plans to Louis as they leave the office together, for reasons Louis is not quite sure, but Louis had already decided to get the train up to Doncaster to see his brother and sisters. He hasn’t seen them in a while and he loves spending time with them. It’s not because he needs something to keep his mind of anything, or anyone, in particular. It really isn’t.

From Monday morning, the week goes smoothly, and Louis keeps himself busy, feeling very productive. He works through his lunch most days and leaves after everyone else most evenings, but he welcomes the distraction. Him and Harry get along fine, not really seeing much of each other except the odd conversation about accounts here and there, and they act completely normally, both seeming to handle the aftermath of their sexual tryst with little issue.

Well. He says little issue. On Wednesday morning Harry manages to get the honey for his breakfast granola all over his hands due to a crack in the squeezy bottle, and after watching Harry suck and lick it off each of his fingers one by one, Louis was forced to go to the gents on the first floor and furiously jerk off, biting on his wrist as he came to stop himself from yelling out Harry’s name from the toilet cubicle. But the less said about that the better.

The weekend comes. There was little wobble in morale when Genevieve called to say that there had been a delay with their final decision, but she assured them not to worry, that she would be in touch the beginning of the following week for definite. Yet again, Harry casually mentions he doesn’t have many plans. This time though, deliberately or not deliberately, Louis isn’t sure, Harry says it in front of Liam. So, Liam being Liam, ends up inviting Harry to watch the football at the pub with them on Saturday afternoon, Zayn too.

I mean, its fine. Louis gets through it, makes pleasant chat here and there and laughs at everyone’s banter. But, well, he feels like he’s a tad on edge the entire time. He only has two pints and he tells himself, and the boys too, it’s because he’s got a bit of a headache, but deep down he thinks it might be to stop himself getting drunk and making at a pass at Harry. It’s just because he’s horny though, and waiting for the Dashel & Moore answer is stressing him out, and he doesn’t have any other options except trying to hook up with a random guy, but that requires too much leg work. Harry’s right there. He wouldn’t take much leg work at all, Louis reckons, since Harry’s had a couple more pints than him and Louis’ caught Harry staring a little too hard at him more than once tonight. Plus he looks so good. He’s just in black skinny jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a vintage looking peach coloured shirt worn open over the top, but his hair and skin looks soft and his face looks happy and it could be so, so easy. Just a nice, quick shag to see them both through. He can feel his cock throb just from the memory of Harry inside him, hot and firm. But no, Louis decides, it’s not the worth the mess it would cause, to scratch that itch. So he apologies to the lads an hour after the end of the football match and says he’s going to call it a night and go home to sleep off the headache and he’ll catch them all on Monday morning.

And if instead he goes home and goes straight into the shower to jerk off to the memory of Harry marking him up and fucking him hard then no-one has to know.

 

__________

 

The call comes through on Tuesday afternoon at 2.46pm.

Louis is working away on a email to one of his clients in Oslo when Harry knocks on his office door, even though it’s wide open. “Louis, hey, Genevieve is on the phone from Dashel & Moore, can you come through?”

“Of course. Shit. Yeah.”

They walk through to Harry’s office together, Louis taking one of the seats in front of the desk and Harry taking his place in the chair behind it. Holy shit. This was it. Biggest moment of Louis’ professional life to date. Harry’s too. Harry presses a button on his office phone and speaks into the room. “Hi Genevieve, thanks for holding. Louis is with me now and I’ve got you on speaker.”

“No problem. Hi Louis” Genevieve replies.

“Hi Genevieve”

“Right, I’m not going to take up too much of your time, we’re all busy people. You did a fantastic job in Frankfurt and we were all very impressed with your pitch, you should be extremely proud of yourselves. However…” Harry and Louis look at each other over the desk. That however does not sound good.

“...as you know, you’re coming from the smallest outfit we have spoken to, and well, to put it bluntly, Marcus has real concerns that you guys haven’t got the capabilities to deliver on the scale that we need…” Harry’s mouth opens as if he’s about to argue back, but Louis holds up his palm silently, so he closes it again. “Adrian and I felt that we do have the infrastructure in place here to fill in the gaps that may pop up, and we did really fight hard because you guys have got some great ideas and really represent the ethos and energy the brand wants to convey going forward. But ultimately the decision was up to Marcus.”

Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck fuck. This isn’t going to go their way. Fuck it all to hell.

“Luckily for you guys, I can be very persuasive...”

Wait. A fucking. Minute...

Like some sort of chemical reaction, Harry and Louis both instantly move closer to the phone. “Genevieve, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Louis asks, staring right into Harry’s eye as he does it.

“If you think what I’m saying is that we’ve decided to go with you boys then yes.”

The two men are both on their feet in a millisecond, mouths open wide in silent screams and viciously fist pumping the air at each other. Harry quickly composes himself enough to say into the phone, “that’s fantastic news Genevieve, you’re not going to regret that decision,” grinning from ear to ear.

“I know, we could see a mile off you were the men for the job. Now, I’ve got to go, I’m on a flight to L.A in three hours. I’ll be in touch with our lawyers regarding the contracts and I’ll give you a call next week to start going over the finer details.”

“No problem, safe flight and we’ll talk soon.” Louis tells her.

“Bye guys.”

And with that the line cuts off.

“WE DID IT!!!!” Harry roars, and runs round the desk, Louis quite literally jumping into his arms when he gets to the other side. Harry spins him around twice before dropping him to the ground and grabbing Louis’ shoulders and shaking him. “We fucking did it Lou.”

“I can’t believe it!” Louis says back at the taller man. He grabs each side of Harry’s waist and squeezes affectionately, the excitement pouring through his veins.

“I can, knew we had it, you did so good Louis!”

Before Louis can even reply, Harry’s lips are pressing harshly against his.

What the hell?

Harry must realise what he’s done almost instantly because the kiss ends as quickly as it began. “Shit, sorry Louis, sorry, I didn’t mean, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s fine. don’t worry, no harm done. It’s fine. Just excitement, swept up in the moment. It’s fine.” It’s decidedly not fine, but Louis doesn’t have any desire to discuss this in any way, shape or form.

“OK, I’m sorry, OK, let’s, um, let’s go tell Ben and James yeah?” Harry is already half way to the door.

“Yes, let’s.” Louis runs to catch up, trying to calm his racing heart.

 

____________

 

James and Ben are naturally delighted, as are the rest of the company, all aware that this is a massive coup for them. Ben suggests a evening out that coming weekend for the whole office to celebrate their triumph as well as reward the staff for their hard work in recent months. Everyone is excited, and Jesy and Perrie go about organising an area with food and drinks at a swanky nearby bar for the Friday night.

Louis ends up having lunch with Harry on both Wednesday and Thursday, with Zayn the first day and Niall and Liam the second. It’s good. The sort of kiss has been completely forgotten and they are both relaxed and happy, riding high off of the Dashel & Moore result, and getting on with their own work the rest of the time.

On Thursday evening, Louis meets up with his sister Lottie for dinner and a catch up. As a makeup artist for a touring theatre company, he doesn’t get to see much of her.

“Hey bro, long time no see!” She rises from her chair in the Greek restaurant they have chosen to meet at and greets him with a hard hug and kiss to his cheek.

“You too Lotts, how you been?” He sits down opposite her.

“So busy, but back in London for a couple of weeks so get a chance to chill out a bit. What about you?”

“Aw fine thanks,” he tells her.

She tips her head to the side, “that bad huh?”

He chuckles, “what makes you say that?”

“Because, my dear brother, I’ve had to develop many years of reading between the lines with you. So tell me, what’s up?”

And he does. After they have ordered their drinks and food, he tells her pretty much everything, all about the possible promotion and Harry starting and the pitch and everything, all with the exception of sleeping with Harry in Frankfurt. Not that he doesn’t want to tell her, he just knows what she will say, and he doesn’t want to hear it.

“That sounds pretty lame, them making you work with your direct competition, especially if the guy is a twat.” Lottie says, before swallowing a mouthful of falafel.

“He’s not a twat, I was a bit unfair to him I think when he first got here.”

“Is he fit?”

Louis frowns. “Why does that matter?”

“Because you can be a bit funny with guys if you fancy them,” she tells him.

“No I can’t.” He says defensively.

“So he _is_ fit then.”

“Stop that.” Louis forks at his lamb shoulder.

“Whatever. Maybe he’s gay? Could be a bit of sexual tension that’s causing the issues?”

“I wouldn’t know, it’s not something that’s come up in conversation,” Louis lies. Luckily this time, Lottie doesn’t seem to catch him out as the waiter returns to the table to fill up their water glasses, distracting her as she thanks him on both their behalf.

“Good work with the big pitch though, you must have been pleased about that?”

“Yeah of course I am, I suppose it’s just frustrating that we both worked really well on it and only one of us will be rewarded for it you know?”

“Yeah I get that, but you have to stay positive Louis. I know you have worked so hard for so long and you’ll get it. I have faith in you.” She reaches and grabs his hand tenderly, giving it a squeeze before picking her fork back up.

“Thanks Lotts, just hope the bosses see it the same way.”

“You’ll phone me as soon as you hear, won’t you?”

“Course sis.” He confirms.

“Good. Now, enough about you, I need to tell you all about my dramas. You will never believe what happened to me at work last week…”

 

__________

 

The office party comes around the following evening, the girls having made a great effort of organising the evening at such short notice. Most people change at work, rather than heading home just to come straight back out again. Louis opts for a simple smart graphic t-shirt and jeans, messing his hair up with product. Harry looks fucking gorgeous, Louis thinks. He’s wearing skin tight black jeans, chunky boots and a short sleeved shiny red shirt, that’s got a crazy design on it, planets and animals or something. Red really is his colour. Well most colours are Harry’s colour, but red is especially good, Louis thinks. Not that he gets a chance to look all that closely at him though, since he doesn’t really seem to get a chance to speak to him much while the food and drinks are dished out at the venue. He’ll no doubt get the opportunity later on though, Louis isn’t too concerned.

As the night goes on, however, it’s becomes clearer and clearer that Harry is avoiding Louis. Whenever Louis comes anywhere close to where he is, or joins a conversation he is a part of, Harry, within minutes or even seconds, will some how move off somewhere else. Louis knows he shouldn’t care, but he does. For a start it’s just plain rude, but more importantly, Louis knows he hasn’t done anything wrong. Harry’s just being a prick for no apparent reason. He’s not going to say anything though. They’ve been getting on really well and well, Louis doesn’t want to rock the boat, because although he doesn’t want to admit it, work is so much better when he isn’t spending his whole time hating Harry. He carries on with his night, drinking and mingling with the others and trying to enjoy himself.

The group decide to move on to a new venue, a nightclub just a few doors down from the bar they are in. It’s dark and a little dingy, but the drinks are cheap and the music is good so Louis thinks it’ll do. He’s a little tipsy after doing a couple of shots with Niall and Perrie when Liam suggests they go dance.

A few of the guys are already there when they reach the dance floor, so Louis slips in and positions himself with his back to Liam and his front to Jade and starts moving his body to the beat of the music. It’s an R’n’B song, one Louis vaguely knows, and it has a dirty beat and dirtier lyrics, so he’s grinding himself up against Liam with a hand on Jade’s hip, when his eyes move round the room and they land on Harry.

He’s standing by the wall in the far corner by himself, a tumbler of dark liquid in one hand and his phone in the other on which he appears to be sending a text. He must feel eyes on him however, because he looks up, locking eyes directly with Louis. Louis turns away, a little bit of blush from getting caught staring, but a few seconds later, when he chances another look, Harry’s phone’s been put away and he’s still staring in Louis direction, eyes hard and jaw tense, seemingly not bothered about being caught himself. Well then.

Louis doesn’t put on a show. He doesn’t, honestly, he just really likes the next song OK? That’s the only reason he rolls his hips a little harder into Liam crotch, and raises an arm up behind him to wrap it loosely round Liam’s neck. Liam, probably a little drunk himself, goes with it, used to Louis’ dancing prowess and brings his own hands down to Louis’ hips, encouraging their somewhat salacious moves to the beat. Louis keeps Harry in the corner of his eye for the next two songs, and has to ignore the little whirl of excitement in his belly when he observes that Harry is still engrossed in their overt display. That all changes when a couple of minutes later, some guy Louis doesn’t recognise walks up to Harry and looks to murmur something, distracting Harry completely. Louis turns away, and continues dancing for three or four, maybe five songs more, before deciding he needs a drink of water.

From the bar, he can see Harry’s still talking to the stranger. They’re laughing a lot, keeping close and talking into each other’s ear so they can hear over the pulsing music. Louis’s not annoyed or anything, but come on, it’s a work night out, Harry should be spending it with his colleagues, not being chatted up by some bloke, especially one who’s shirt is too tight and has got a stupid haircut.

“You alright there Louis?”

Shit. Louis didn’t even notice Zayn’s arrival beside him.

“Yeah, fine, yeah. You?” He replies, not taking his eyes off Harry for even a second.

“Not too bad thanks. Had to get away from that woman from payroll. Joyce I think her name is? She was pretty drunk, was rambling about some guy, Iain or Brian, I couldn’t really understand. It’s a really shame, seems like a nice lady, but not really what you want on a night out is it?” Zayn chatters. Louis just nods his head in agreement, only half listening. There’s a couple of seconds of pause. “You could go talk to him you know?” Zayn says.

Louis whips his head round, “What? Go talk to who?” Zayn gives him a pointed look. “He’s busy. With that guy.”

“Sure.” Zayn declares, like he doesn’t really believe him.

“I’m going to the toilet.” Louis informs him, downing the rest of his water and slamming the glass down on the bar behind him and walking off before Zayn can even respond.

 

__________

 

Louis dries his hands and throws the paper towel in the bin and turns to walk towards the door when he slams straight into someone’s chest. He instinctively reaches up to the body in front of him to steady himself, a set of hands coming out to grab at Louis’ elbows.

“Oh shit, sorry Louis.” Urgh. Typical. It would be Harry wouldn’t it?

Louis jumps back. “Christ, Styles, watch where you’re going.”

“Yeah, sorry, my bad.”

“Who’s that guy?” Louis immediately asks, like he has zero control over his brain or mouth.

“What?” Harry frowns, probably a little thrown but the sudden question.

“That guy, that’s chatting you up. Who is he?” Why can’t Louis stop himself from talking?

“Are you jealous?” Harry asks, a smirk growing on his lips.

“Of course not.” Louis is not jealous. He is _not_ jealous.

“You sound a little jealous.” Harry bites his lip teasingly.

“Oh please,” Louis scoffs, “You’re love life has the square root of fuck all to do with me. I’m only asking because this is meant to be a work night out and you’re too busy trying to get a leg over some stranger.”

Harry raises his eyebrows. “So you’re saying I should try to only get a leg over someone from the office?”

“That’s... no... that’s... that’s not what I’m trying to say at all.” He fumbles.

Harry grins, “I’m kidding. And the guy is a friend of a friend from uni, used to see him at house parties and such while I was studying. To be honest he’s boring as hell, I don’t actually need the bathroom, just had to give him an excuse to get away.”

“Oh I see.” He feels a little something. Not relief, because that would be silly. But maybe relief? Now is not the time to think on it, he’s still a bit pissed off. “Why have you been avoiding me all night?”

“I haven’t.”

“You have.”

“I haven’t.”

“Styles.”

“Louis.”

Why is this man so bloody infuriating? “Just fucking tell me why you haven’t spoken to me the whole night.”

“Um... I just didn’t…” Harry trails off, running his hand through his hair and looking anywhere but Louis.

“Didn’t what?” Louis presses.

“I guess... I kinda... didn’t want to get drunk and... you know... do something stupid.” He says a little nervously.

Oh, well that’s interesting. Louis can’t help but be _very_ interested in that piece of information. “Like what?” He frowns, pretending like he’s confused but he doesn’t think he is. He thinks he knows what Harry is saying. Or maybe it’s hopes he knows, but that’s like, whatever.

Harry continues fumbling over his words. “Um... well... you’re a bloke, you know what it’s like... um... you have a few beers and... well... the filter for being subtle about wanting... you know, well, um... sex, it can...”

Ding ding ding ding jackpot.

Louis doesn’t even let him finish the sentence before he’s pulling Harry by his shirt backwards into the toilet cubicle behind him.

“Louis what are you...” Harry tries to ask, arms flailing while he’s being dragged.

Louis ignores him, slamming the door closed behind them and locking it before shoving Harry up against it. He immediately starts fumbling with Harry’s belt.

“Louis I don’t know if this is a good idea...” Harry says, voice full of trepidation.

Louis stills his hands and looks up at him. “You don’t?” This is a very good idea, the best idea ever, Louis reckons.

“Might confuse things more, you know, at work….”

“It won’t, it’s just like last time. A bit of fun. Stress release.” That’s definitely all this is to Louis. Nothing more to it. Definitely not. Honestly. “You enjoyed it last time didn’t you?” Harry doesn’t say anything, just stares down with a pained expression. There’s a seed of doubt there, and that’s all Louis needs. He keeps his voice soft, a little breathy. “I don’t understand. Don’t you want me? Don’t you want me on my knees for you? Holding me still? Making me take it?” He leans up on his tip toes so his lips graze the shell of Harry’s ear and whispers, “making me take _all_ of you?” Louis is pressed up against him, hands still on his belt, and he can feel Harry’s body tremble as soon as the words leave his mouth. When he pulls back so he can see his face, Harry’s pupils have blown.

That’s it. He’s managed to flip the switch in Harry’s brain. Job done. Tick.

“Fuck, Lou, fuck yeah, ok, come on.”

Louis pushes his face into Harry’s, mashing their mouths together. They kiss, bitey and wet, and Louis can’t help feel a sense of appeasement that’s he’s finally got his lips on Harry’s again, like he’s missed it or something, but he struggles to undo Harry’s jeans at the same time and Harry’s clearly not willing to wait. He grabs the back of Louis head by his hair and pulls him away roughly.

“Just get down. Get down and stay quiet, I’ll do it.”

Louis complies, sliding down Harry’s body like syrup until he’s on his knees, keeping close to Harry’s legs like he can’t bear to have any distance between them. Harry manages to get his jeans undone, and slips them down, barely passed the curve of his arse. Louis groans, Harry isn’t even wearing any bloody underwear.

His cock isn’t fully hard yet, but it’s definitely going in the right direction, and Louis watches transfixed as Harry spits in his hand and fists it a little, swiping up and down a couple of times until it’s a touch slick. His other hand comes down and curls under Louis chin, gripping hard. He runs the tip of his dick along the Louis’ lips, coating them in the bit of pre-come thats formed. “Christ look at you, you fucking love it don’t you, you just love cock? I’m gonna fuck your throat raw princess.” Princess? Louis doesn’t know how he feels about that. His cock seems to like it but it can’t be trusted at times like this.

“Styles, please.” Louis whimpers.

“Fuck, no. None of that Styles shit,” he snaps, digging his fingers into Louis’ chin a little more. “Say my name properly.”

“Harry. Harry please. I want you.” Louis feels like he’s having an out of body experience, his whole being is vibrating with desire and it’s barely been two minutes since they came in here.

“Such a fucking tease. Knew I was watching you while you were dancing, didn’t you? Putting on a show just for me, making me want you.” He mumbles back. Knowing Harry was getting off on watching him makes Louis’ own cock pulse. “Now come on, open up for me.”

Louis places his hands behind his own back, clasping them together and opens his mouth wide, sticking his tongue out and presenting it to the man above him. Harry answers by plunging his cock into Louis’ waiting mouth, exhaling a satisfied breath, like he has been holding it in the entire time. Both his hands come round to the back of Louis’ head, fisting in his hair.

Harry doesn’t start off slowly, doesn’t give Louis time to adjust, he starts dicking into Louis’ mouth in long, steady lunges from the get go, getting as far in as he can, the tight grip on Louis’ hair never waning. Every three or four thrusts he’ll pause, the head of his cock tucked right in to the back of Louis’ throat, causing Louis to gag wetly, salvia dripping down from his mouth. They keep eye contact almost the entire time, it only breaking when Louis has to squeeze his eyelids tightly to try and rid his lashes of tears. The whole thing is super intense in the best possible way.

The door to the bathroom opens, and Louis can hear someone enter and walk to the urinals. His hands come up to Harry’s jeans clad thighs, clawing at the rough denim to get Harry’s attention. Harry just answers by smirking and shaking his head, his thrusts become a rougher as his hold on Louis’ hair tightens. Fuck. Louis thinks this might be the hottest experience of his fucking life.

The unknown man finishes his business, washes his hands and leaves, and as soon as the door closes, Harry grunts, “I’m gonna come.” Louis moans around him, he wants that, wants Harry to come all over him in all honesty. Harry pulls out and wraps his cock in his own hand. “Open and show me your tongue. Don’t swallow.”

Louis does as instructed, and Harry fists his himself a couple of times, exploding into Louis mouth with a shout, milking himself until Louis has taken every last drop. Once he’s done, he let’s go of his softening member, and places the index and middle fingers of his right hand onto Louis tongue, running the calloused pads of his fingertips back and forth over Louis’s come-covered muscle.

“So good Lou. Should have known you would like it a bit rough eh? So good for me.” He says it’s more to himself, like he’s in some sort of trance, just watching his own digits massaging his spunk into the warm flesh of Louis’s mouth. He must suddenly realise what he’s doing though, and shakes his head to get rid of the internal fog, before pulling his hand away and telling Louis he’s allowed to swallow now. The whole thing is reminiscent of their first night together, when Harry came all over Louis and proceeded to rub it in to his skin.

“Think you’ve got bit of a come kink don’t you Styles?” Louis teases, grinning up at him while wiping his bottom lip with his thumb. Shit, his throat is killing, his voice cracking on almost every word.

Harry pulls Louis up by his biceps and kisses him, sucking on his tongue and moaning loudly as he tastes himself. “Mmmm think it’s more of a Louis Tomlinson covered in my come kink,” he murmurs against Louis’ mouth, before moving to nip on Louis’ neck. Louis is hard, desperate for his own release, and the mere notion that Harry gets off on coming on him specifically isn’t helping matters. He starts chasing the friction he needs up against Harry’s thigh, whining a little.

“God, wanna fuck you so bad, I wanna…” Harry pants in his ear, biting on his ear lobe.

“Wanna what Harry, say it…” He breathes out roughly, speech choppy.

“No, no, I can’t.” He feels Harry shaking his head against the side of his face.

“You can, please, tell me…” Louis pulls back and looks Harry in the eyes, “What is it?”

Harry screws his eyes shut and shakes his head again, “Jesus, Lou, you don’t understand… the things I wanna do to you…” What the hell? This is the time Harry chooses to play shy? After what they’ve just done?

Louis grabs Harry’s face with both hands. “Harry? Harry look at me?” His voice is still rough, it’s a struggle to get the words out properly, but he knows it’ll be worth it. He waits until Harry opens his eyes and kisses him quickly and harshly, then rocks his hips harder into Harry’s leg. “You feel that? You feel how hard I am? That’s just. Shit. Thats just from you coming in my mouth. I want you. So you can tell me whatever it is you’re thinking about.”

Harry grips Louis’ waist and squeezes. “I wanna… I wanna mark you up... I wanna fuck you and... and... choke you... want you fucking begging for it, begging and coming from just my cock.” A spike of excitement pierces Louis’s gut at Harry’s words, and he’s still grinding into him. This is too much, it’s all too much.

“Holy shit. Yeah. Want that. So fucking much. Do it. Fucking choke me.” He bites at Harry’s lips, wrapping his arms around his neck.

“Yeah? You want that? Mmmm…” He leans forward and mumbling against Louis’ mouth again, like he can’t decide what’s more important, speaking or snogging. “Fuck OK, yeah…. but… not here… Come back to mine yeah? Please? I’ll fuck you so hard Lou, give it to you so good, just how you want it. Please?” He sounds as desperate as Louis feels.

“I can’t Harry, I can’t leave, I’m so hard, people will see,” he presses his face into Harry’s neck.

“Oh no? That not turn you on, the chance that you might get caught? Everyone seeing you all hard and desperate for it, for me?” He rubs Louis’s back, a sweet action at odds with the subject matter. Louis opens his mouth to argue, but no words come out. Because, well, it does excite him, just a little. He doesn’t understand how someone he doesn’t even like all that much can bring this kind of fire out in him, he feels like he’s burning from the inside out. Harry takes the following silence as agreement, “Thought so. Come on, let’s get out of here.” He pushes Louis away from him, Louis pouting a little, and it’s only then Louis realises Harry’s groin is still uncovered. He watches silently as Harry pulls his jeans back up and does them up, his belt too, and Harry leans forward to give him a last quick kiss on the mouth before guiding him out the cubicle.

Once out the toilets, they head straight to the exit, Louis tucked up under Harry’s arm, Louis’ arm round Harry’s waist to support himself. Luckily it was a warm evening so they don’t have to collect jackets or anything, but luck isn’t completely on their side, however, as they walk straight into Liam returning from outside.

“Hey guys! Where are you off to? I was just making a quick phone call. Oh shit, Louis, are you ok?” Liam queries, obviously clocking a somewhat fragile looking Louis clinging to Harry’s side.

“Found him throwing up in the bathroom, too many tequilas I think.” Harry answers smoothly for him, like it isn’t a complete fabrication off the top of his head and he hasn’t just shot his load into Louis’ mouth.” I’m gonna take him home in a cab, make sure he gets straight to bed.” If Louis was more with it, he’d laugh at how true that last statement probably is.

“Oh man, are you sure? I can take him if you want to stay?” Liam’s frowns in concern.

“No, no, it’s fine, I’m feeling a bit drained myself.” OK, Louis has to properly stifle a giggle at that one, “I’ll probably head straight to bed too.” Harry gives a subtle squeeze to Louis’s side.

“Course mate, hope you both feel better soon. I’ll call you tomorrow Louis? Check in?”

Louis nods his head, worried that if he opens mouth nothing but a moan will come out.

“Thanks mate, see you Monday” Harry replies and with that, they make their escape.

Outside, there’s a queue of taxis waiting for the clubs and bars of the area to empty of late night revellers, so they jump in the first one, Harry giving the driver his address.

Louis doesn’t know how long the journey is, could be ten minutes, could be an hour. He spends the entire time practically in Harry’s lap, their mouths slotted together and tongues working overtime, one of them occasionally moving to suck blemishes into the others man neck, hands fisting at each others clothing and hair. The driver says something, possibly about calming it down in the back, and Harry pulls his head away to call out “I’ll pay you double alright? Just drive,” before quickly going back to Louis’ face to pick up where he left off.

Fuck the man is so hot when he’s in charge.

 

__________

 

They finally arrive at the apartment building, Louis clambering out the back seat and waiting patiently on the pavement while Harry pulls two bank notes from his wallet and handing them to the driver, telling him to keep the change. He jumps out and slams the door, before turning to Louis and pulling him in close.

“You OK? You do want this yeah?” Harry asks him, running his hands up and down Louis’ bare biceps, bowing his head a little to look into Louis’ eyes, maybe recognising Louis is a bit more clear headed now. It might be a detour from the more brusque attitude Harry had in the club, but Louis likes it, likes the concern, likes feeling taking cared for by him.

No, that’s not right. Not by Harry. Just likes it in general. This isn’t a Harry-specific thing. “Yeah… Yeah I’m good. You can… You can can do whatever you want with me.” He can’t quite believe he has said that out loud.

Harry grins, ”Oh I plan to princess,” leaning down and leaving a plush kiss on the corner of Louis’ mouth. Without another word, he takes Louis by the wrist and pulls him up the front steps. He’s only on the first floor, so in no time, Harry has Louis in the apartment and locking the door behind him.

“You need a drink or anything? Water?” Harry asks him as he leads him down the hallway and into the bedroom. Louis doesn’t answer straight away, he’s too distracted at looking around. The place doesn’t feel like Harry at all. It’s all beige walls and cool accents, no character or warmth to it. Then he remembers it’s not Harry’s home, it’s just temporary accommodation. Temporary. Like this whole night between them both. Louis ignores the uneasy feeling at that realisation, doesn’t want to identify it, just wants to enjoy what’s about to happen: fun between two consenting adults.

“Louis, did you hear what I said?” Harry tugs on the front of Louis’ t-shirt, bringing him back to the present.

“Yeah, yeah water would be good.”

“OK. I’ll be a minute. Want you to strip off and get on the bed for me.”

Louis simply nods and watches as Harry leaves the room. He removes his clothes and shoes quickly, so he’s completely naked, and climbs on the the bed. It’s massive, one of those wrought iron ones with a thick mattress and soft sheets. He lies down on his back in the middle, head resting on the pillow. He turns his head to the side, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. The sheets stink of Harry; his cologne, his fruity shampoo and a bit of sweat and man. It smells incredible, and Louis can’t help reaching down his own body and grabbing himself in his hand, giving his cock a few gentle strokes. He wasn’t hard any more, the journey from the club giving him some time to calm down, but now he’s here, in Harry’s bed, waiting for the man to come back and do unfathomable things to him, he can’t help but feel his erection stirring again.

“Holy shit.” He hears from the doorway. He opens his eyes, not even realising he had closed them, to see Harry’s own are wide and he’s playing with his bottom lip between his fingers. “You look so good.”

“Yeah?” Louis asks quietly. He can feel the blush forming on his chest and neck but he doesn’t stop his hand’s movements.

“Yeah, really good babes.” Harry walks over to him, stopping beside the side of the bed, and takes a hold of Louis’ wrist, pulling it gently away from his cock, and hands him the glass of water. “Drink this.” Harry watches as Louis drains the tumbler, and takes it back off him, placing it on the bedside table. When he turns back to Louis, he’s got a fond look on his face. He leans down to kiss Louis once, then stands tall again. “You’re gonna turn over for me. Hand and knees.”

Louis does as Harry has told him without question. He gets into position, but rests his upper body weight on his elbows and grabs ahold of the metal bars of the headboard, like he knows he’s going to need the extra support. He can hear the sound of Harry undressing behind him, the clink of the belt and jeans on the floor sending a flare off in his groin and feels the bed move at his feet when Harry climbs on top to join him.

“You have no idea, do you? How good you look? Just… just incredible,” Harry mutters, his voice filled with awe. Louis would answer, fob Harry off, tell him he’s being nonsensical, but Harry’s hands come up and caress both of Louis’ buttocks at the same time, and it’s so soft yet firm all at once that it makes him just gasp instead.

“Can I eat you out?” Christ. What? Is that actually a question? Is that going to happen? Is Harry seriously going to eat him out right now? Louis’ mouth fills with saliva. He feels Harry’s lips leaving a peck on the top of his left cheek, then his right, then the centre at the top of his crack. “Can I?” Harry asks again. Shit, Louis didn’t answer last time.

“Yeah, please.” He breathes out.

Harry groans and nudges Louis’ legs so they fan out and he can fit better in between them. “Thank you.” Did Harry just? Did he just _thank_ _him_? How is this happening to Louis right now? He isn’t going to survive this. He’s sure of it.

Harry’s left hand keeps ahold of Louis’ bum, while the knuckles of his right reach under and graze the underside of Louis’ balls. He shudders at the contact, but Harry moves upwards, running them from there up Louis’ perineum, and then over his hole. He grabs the right cheek again, and spreads them both out so he has Louis’ rim fully on display. “Stunning.” he whispers, before leaning down and licking a fat strip from the bottom to the top of Louis’ crack.

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” Louis mewls out.

Harry places his mouth at the top of the crevice, and spits a load of saliva. Louis can feel it dripping down between his cheeks, and it feels cool, but almost instantly the chill is removed by Harry’s hot tongue lapping it back up, making Louis feel like he is soaking everywhere. Harry continues like that for a few licks, getting Louis as wet as he can, before coming to a rest over Louis’s hole. He presses a few gentle kisses on it, before lightly grazing the pucked skin with his teeth. It’s a sensory overload for Louis, he is completely in-tune with every minuscule movement Harry is making, but at the same time it’s making his brain short circuit and he can feel himself spiral. And the noises Harry is making aren’t helping either, the pleased little moans and murmurs, like its the best fucking thing Harry has ever tasted.

“Think you can come like this princess?” Harry pulls away to ask, but stays close enough that Louis can still feel his warm breath on his skin.

Louis starts frantically nodding his head, but he soon realises that Harry can’t see him from where he is positioned. “Don’t, don’t stop. It’s perfect.” His fingers nails are digging into his palms around the rods of the bed frame, and he’s so hard now it’s getting painful. He needs to come, and soon. Harry must take Louis’ words as gospel, so he spends the next several minutes alternating between kissing, licking, sucking and gnawing at Louis’ entrance, while Louis rambles incoherent praises. When he finally starts fucking his tongue into Louis’ heat, it’s game over after just a minute or two and Louis comes with a shout, his whole body shaking with the effects.

“You did so well babes. You wanna lie down and rest a bit?” Harry says, stroking Louis’ quivering thighs as he comes down from his high.

“No, no, no, no… want you, want your dick… come on… give it to me.” Louis begs.

“Are you… are you sure?” Louis can hear that Harry is genuinely concerned about his welfare, but Harry also can’t hide the smugness in his voice at Louis’ obvious desperation. And Louis knows he’s desperate, just gagging to have Harry inside him again, that it probably seems a bit pathetic. He couldn’t give a shit right now though, his need to get fucked by the man behind him all consuming.

“I’m sure, do it, open me up… don’t wanna wait,” he pleads.

Harry laughs in spite of himself, “Aye, aye Captain.” The sentence takes Louis right back to their night together in Frankfurt. That night was good, great in fact, but this? This is just so much better, it doesn’t even compare.

Louis hears the opening of a bottle of lube, but before he can have the full thought as to when Harry even got it from, he feels Harry’s slick fingertips ghost his fluttering hole, getting it even more drenched than before. Harry slips two fingers in from the get go, Louis already a little loose from Harry’s tongue, and strokes Louis’ inner walls a few times until he finds Louis’ prostate.

“There, right there… fucking hell!” Louis shouts, his voice feeling hoarse, his body squirming, like it doesn’t know if it wants to pull away from Harry’s touch or move back into it more. Harry grips Louis’ hip with his free hand to help steady him. Harry’s a little boorish with it, a little choppy, as he continues stroking in and out, scissoring his fingers to stretch Louis wide, but it feels phenomenal, and soon enough, he’s sliding in a third, making room for himself inside Louis.

“Think you’re ready.” Harry tells him after a couple more minutes, drawing his hand from Louis and squeezing his bum and planting another kiss at the base of his spine. “Can’t wait to be inside you again,” he tells him before tugging at Louis’ arms to pry them from the headboard and turn him over, rearranging them both so he’s nestled comfortably between Louis’ spread legs, running his palms up and down the soft, fuzzed skin of Louis’ inner thighs.

It’s the first time Louis’ properly seen Harry naked tonight, in weeks in fact, and the vision of Harry’s toned flesh, his sweaty skin and tattoos glistening, makes him all the more feverish, so when Harry and reaches out somewhere on the bed and grabs a condom, Louis is speaking before he thinks, rushing out “No, no, please. Come inside me? I’m clean, promise,” while leaning up to grab onto Harry’s forearm.

Harry halts his actions and gapes open mouthed at Louis. “Fuck, Lou, that’s…”

Louis’ shocked himself, but he knows that he wants it anyway. “I know, I know, but I trust you yeah, you trust me?”

“Yeah, yeah, I trust you but… are you sure?” Harry drops the packet from his hand and manoeuvres his own body so he is looming over him on the bed, hands pressing into the mattress on either side of Louis’ head, so their faces are just inches apart.

“Never wanted anything more. Please baby.” Louis whispers against Harry’s lips, cupping his cheek. He can feel Harry stiff against his hip, and he’s pretty sure Harry’s cock twitches at his confirmation.

“Baby?” Harry questions him with a grin. Louis hadn’t realised he even said it, but he doesn’t care, and just hums his agreement with a wry smile, knowing for a fact that Harry fucking loves it. Harry answers by licking Louis’ top lip and then his bottom one, before slipping his tongue in, causing Louis to disintegrate into the pillow behind his head, his hands moving up to run through Harry’s hair. After a couple of minutes of making out, Louis gets restless, and tugs lightly on Harry’s curls. Getting the hint, Harry sits back up and grabs the lube again, slicking his cock in three quick swipes, and settles into position so he can guide himself into Louis. He does it quickly, maybe too quickly in all honesty, but Louis gets it, gets the sheer fucking _need_ to be connected to each other like this, skin to hot skin, as quickly as possible, so Louis swallows down the discomfort he feels, fisting at the bed sheets underneath him.

“Oh my god. Lou. Jesus, this is... you feel....” Harry rambles when he is all the way in, grabbing Louis’ legs and hooking them over his hips. “Fucking hell, can I go?”

“Yeah, go, fuck... Wanna feel all of it.”

Harry pulls out almost all the way and slams back in, causing the headboard to ricochet against the wall and Louis to slide up the bed. Harry tightens the grip he has on the top of Louis’s thighs and he does it again. And again. And again. Its a relentless pace for a few minutes, as he dicks into Louis with fervour, right up against Louis’ prostate, Louis only able to let out garbled little moans, and Harry answering with groans of his own. Harry suddenly shifts a bit, so his thrusts aren’t as punishing, but it means he can lean forward, and now has the opportunity to get his hands on more of Louis, can caress the skin of his stomach. And chest. And his neck...

“Do it,” Louis wheezes, when he feels Harry’s fingers graze his throat.

“Do what?” Harry grunts out in return, slowing down his hips, his hand stilling. Like he doesn’t already know. Fucking liar. Louis knows he’s been thinking about it.

Louis manages to get his breath back enough to answer. “Just fucking do it. Choke me. I want it.”

Harry green eyes darken to complete black. “Yeah? You positive? I... I don’t want to hurt you...”

“You won’t. C’mon. You want it too, I know you do.” He grabs at Harry’s wrist in an effort to encourage his hand to tighten.

“Yeah, OK... can you... can you ride me?”

“Yeah.” Is all Louis can get out before Harry drives himself as deep as he can into him, filling him up to the hilt, wrapping him up tightly and rolling them over until Louis is on top of him, not slipping out for a second. Louis scrambles to sit up, a leg on either side of Harry.

“Oh my god, you feel like you’re in my stomach like this,” Louis moans dreamily.

Harry punches out a laugh, “Yeah princess? Feel good? Like I’m filling you right up?” He holds Louis down firmly at the waist and grinds up into him as if to reiterate the point, biting his lip to suppress a smirk while he does it.

“Holy shit. Yeah. So good baby. The best. Now c’mon, stop stalling.” He says as he grabs Harry’s hands off his sides and places them on his own throat, raising his chin and stretching his neck in a obscene display, dropping his own hands to rest on Harry’s firm abdomen to steady himself.

“So bossy aren’t you?” Harry sniggers. “OK, you’ll tell me if it’s too much? Pinch me or something?”

“Yeah, yeah I will. Promise.”

Harry fixes his hands into place, his thumbs crossed over Louis’ wind pipe and fingers curled round towards the nape of his neck, and presses down lightly.

The effect for Louis is almost instant, just not the effect he expected. This whole thing, pretty much since he pulled Harry into the cubicle back in the club, has felt erratic and effervescent, heightened. But the second he feels the pressure of Harry’s hands, something in him just completely settles, a calm, a serenity washing over him like he has never experienced. He feels completely and utterly at Harry’s mercy but the safest he has ever been in his life.

Harry, sensing Louis is comfortable, plants his feet solidly on the bed and starts ruthlessly fucking up into Louis’s tight heat, his cock hitting Louis’ bundle of nerves on every snap his hips. “Harder.” Louis manages to get out, his nails scratching at skin on Harry’s stomach. Harry fulfils his request, never slowing or pausing his thrusts, and squeezes harder. Louis’ vision starts to cloud over and he closes his eyes, tears forming in the corners while spots dance on the back of his eyelids.

“Mmmm.... gonna come.... gonna come deep inside you princess.... gonna have.... have you dripping with me.” Harry tells him through every rushed inhale and exhale. Louis answers by clamping down around Harry’s cock, tightening his thighs around Harry’s hips. “Feeling like your insides are gonna burst sweetheart?” he continues, “gonna come for me....? Come on.... soak me... wanna see it.”

He tries to nod his head but the position of Harry’s hands and the strength he has over him won’t allow it, so he just hums his agreement, hoping Harry can feel the vibrations from his trachea. Everything is swimming, the blood is rushing in his ears and every nerve ending in his entire being is singing. He knows he’s so close to falling off the edge but he can’t properly comprehend anything any more.

That’s when Harry lets go.

What happens over the next few seconds to Louis is a blur. All he sees is white. He vaguely senses of gush of air filling his lungs, there’s a chance that he comes all over Harry’s chest, and he knows for a fact that he praises Gods he didn’t know he believed in. When he finally regains a modicum of self awareness, he feels Harry coming inside him and coating his walls, Harry’s hands digging fiercely into his hips. “Fuck yes. Fuck. Take it all. Oh my God,” he’s shouting as his hips jerk, spilling all he can into the man on top of him.

Eventually Harry’s movements slow to a halt, and he slumps down flat on the bed. Louis, having lost all motor skills, collapses on top of him, his face landing in Harry’s clammy neck. Harry’s hands come up and start stroking his back and arms in a soothing manner, and he begins whispering in Louis’s ear, kissing his face at any point is he can reach. “That was perfect... you were so perfect Lou... did so good for me... took it so well... are you ok?”

Louis mumbles agreement against the soft skin of Harry’s throat, and nibbles at it a little. “Yeah,” he croaks, “so good baby.” His voice is completely shot to shit but Harry gets the message anyway.

“You need anything? More water?” Harry asks, as he continues his fingers’ movements over Louis’ skin.

“Sleep,” is all Louis replies, one hand coming up to lazily run through Harry’s sweaty hair.

“OK, we can sleep, need to get up for a second though.”

“Nooooo,” Louis whines, “stay....” still scratching a little at Harry’s scalp, mouthing at Harry under his jaw.

“I know sweetheart,” Harry giggles, “but we’re both covered in your come and my dick is still inside you.” He wiggles his hips, as if Louis might need the physical evidence to believe him.

“Urgh OK.” Louis agrees, but makes zero effort to move, so Harry is forced to move him himself, rolling his malleable body over and slipping out of him. Harry’s release leaks from Louis, and Louis opens his eyes slowly to see Harry staring in wonder at it, seemingly unable to help himself when he dips the tips of his index and middle finger into Louis’ hole and prods.

“Holy shit, that makes me what to fuck you again, just seeing my come in you. So sexy.”

“Harry no. Stop. Too much,” Louis squirms. And it is too much, really, Louis’ rim sensitive and raw after being fucked into oblivion.

“OK, Lou, sorry, didn’t meant to hurt you. Just wanna take care of you yeah?” Harry pulls his fingers away, sounding upset, and looking like a sad puppy. Louis doesn’t want him to think he’s actually angry with him so he grabs Harry’s wrist and takes the soaking digits into his mouth, sucking them of Harry’s spunk before releasing them with a pop. Harry watches the action in rapture, then bites his lip.“Louis, sweetheart, if you insist on pulling moves like that, I will simply have to fuck you again, whether you can handle it or not.” He leans in and presses a wet kiss to Louis’ mouth before sucking on Louis’ bottom lip with a hum. “Little minx you are. Right, let’s get cleaned up yeah?”

Harry gets up off the bed and stretches, Louis watching his back and arm muscles rippling. Jesus, Louis thinks, he really is beautiful. And that arse. If he had more energy he’d lean over and sink his teeth in. He watches Harry saunter out the room, returning a minute late with a damp cloth and some more water.

“Um, Harry, it is ok I stay over, right?” Louis hesitantly asks when Harry has finished sorting them both and settling in the bed with the covers draped over them. He’s sleepy, but he’ll get up and leave if Harry wants him to.

“Louis, do you really think I was gonna chuck you out after shagging you like that? What kind of person do you think I am?” He laughs while he says it so Louis knows he isn’t offended.

“Well I don’t know, I just wanted to make sure,” He blushes.

“Come here you numpty,” Harry pulls him into his side, Louis resting his head on Harry’s shoulder. “Does it hurt?” He ask, touching the mild bruising on Louis’ neck with the greatest of care.

“Not really. Like I can feel it a little but it’s not painful or anything.”

“Mmmm. OK.” Harry pecks Louis’ forehead and leans over to turn the light off. Louis shifts down so his head is resting on Harry’s upper chest, laying an arm over Harry’s ribcage. Harry curls his arm round Louis and rests his hand on Louis’ waist. “Night Lou.”

“Night Harry.” Louis is sound asleep within minutes.

And it’s the best sleep he’s had in a long, long time.

 

______________

 

Louis stirs the next morning, to the feeling of chapped lips mouthing at his neck. He’s on his side and Harry’s plastered to his sweaty back, finger tips grazing Louis’ stomach and chest softly. Louis must tense slightly, because Harry murmurs. “Oh good, you’re awake.”

Harry’s hard. Louis can feel his cock nestled up against his bum, and it makes him writhe a little, moving back into Harry, just to feel more of it, before he can properly register what’s actually happening or control his body’s impulsive actions. Harry reaches up to Louis’ face and turns it towards him by his chin. “Can I have you again?” Harry asks tentatively against his lips. Louis nods, and Harry slips his tongue into Louis’ mouth, morning breath be damned.

Louis feels sleepy, all his limbs a heavy weight on the bed. He’s aware of Harry’s digits running along between his cheeks while they kiss, feeling two slipping into his hole. He’s still loose and a little wet with lube and come from the few hours previous, so Harry doesn’tmeet resistance, and only fingers him slowly a few times before adding a third. He’s not hitting Louis’ prostate, and Louis knows from experience that must be a deliberate move on Harry’s part because he knows exactly how to find it. Maybe Harry senses it would be too intense for Louis when he has just woken up. 

After a couple of minutes, Harry pulls away to reach behind him to grab something; lube, Louis surmises. It doesn’t take him long to ready himself before he retakes his position up behind Louis. He lifts Louis’ leg to hook it over his own hip, and lines himself up. “So perfect sweetheart,” he whispers as he guides his cock leisurely passed the first rings of muscle, “you’re made just for me.” There’s something in that, what Harry’s just said, something not quite right. Of all the things they have said to each other over the past twenty four hours, its feels the most intimate, too intimate for what’s meant to be happening between them, this ‘casual sex’ thing they have somehow found themselves in. Maybe it’s just an off the cuff statement for Harry to make, but it doesn’t really matter, because the pleasure of Harry filling him up so completely takes over every single one of Louis’ thoughts and senses, and he forgets the words almost as soon as they’ve left him.

Harry starts kissing him again, the rhythm of his tongue in Louis’ mouth matching the rhythm of his lazy, deep thrusts. There’s a little bit of a drag, like he’s just on the wrong side of slick inside, but the burn feels so, so good, Louis can’t help but make grabby hands, and Harry reacts accordingly, bringing his own round to intertwine his fingers with Louis’, holding him as close as possible as Louis liquefies into him completely.

When Harry shifts slightly, adjusts Louis’ hips and speeds up, that’s when he starts hitting the right spot on every push in, and Louis has to pull away from Harry’s face, the effort of kissing becoming too cumbersome. He keeps his mouth close though, breathing the same air as the man inside him, moaning softly and it makes him feel lightheaded and floaty. Louis’ orgasm doesn’t race up on him, it’s been building slowly and surely, and in a way it makes it that much more profound than any other one Harry has given him to date.

“You’re so close, can feel it. Gonna feel so good when you let go sweetheart,” Harry murmurs, and Louis knows he’s right. Harry pulls his hand away from Louis’ and takes a hold of Louis’ leaking cock, thumbing the head a little. It’s all it takes for Louis to reach his end, coming with a sob of Harry’s name, Harry following not to far behind him with a cry of his own as he empties himself into the man in his hold.

Harry stays inside him, arms wrapped around Louis tightly, face buried in Louis’ neck, and it’s so warm and comforting and Louis is so spent and dopey, he can’t help but start to drift off again, only vaguely aware of when Harry pulls out of him a short while later.

 

__________

 

When Louis wakes again, he’s alone. For a brief moment, the memory is so hazy that it actually crosses his mind that he might have dreamt their sex this morning, but then he looks down and sees his dried come on his stomach, feels Harry’s in between his thighs, and groans internally. He gets up and slips on his underwear, not wanting to bump into Harry naked, and exits the bedroom.

He hears Harry puttering away down the hall, and he manages to find the bathroom with minimal energy, washing himself down with a clean washcloth he finds under the sink and rinsing his mouth with mouthwash. There’s marks all over him, all from Harry’s doing and well, just like after Frankfurt, he has to admit to himself that he likes them. The bruising on his neck is going be a bitch to cover up for work on Monday though. He returns to the bedroom, gets dressed and goes off to find Harry.

“Hey,” he says as he enters the into a small open plan room encompassing the kitchen and living area.

“Morning, well afternoon should I say.” Harry replies, turning from the sink where he is washing dishes, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. He’s wearing a plain pale grey t-shirt and light yellow jogging bottoms and his feet are bare. He looks so soft and cuddly, like he’d be nice to curl up into on the sofa watching a movie or something, Louis thinks.

“Shit, really? What time is it?” Louis asks as he perches on a stool at the small breakfast bar that divides the kitchen and living room into two.

Harry checks his watch. “Quarter to one. You want a cup of tea?”

“Yeah sure. Milk and…

“… Two sugars. Yeah, Lou, I know.” Harry smiles and turns away to the grab the kettle. Louis smiles too, despite himself. This is nice, he thinks, and it doesn’t even feel awkward. He watches Harry fill the kettle in the sink and place it on the base, clicking it on to boil, and retrieve two mugs and teabags, grabbing the milk from the fridge. He turns around. “Should we talk about it?”

OK maybe Louis spoke too soon. “Um… you mean last night? This morning? What?”

“Any of it? All of it? I don’t know?”

“Well. I don’t know what there is to say? I had fun, I’m guessing you did too? We’re just colleagues that happen to enjoy having sex together.” Louis states.

“Colleagues.” Harry nods his head like it’s brand new information for him.

“OK, not colleagues then, friends. Whatever you want to call us. It’s just sex Styles, you know?”

“So we’re back to Styles now?” His brows are knitted together in what could be confusion, or frustration, or maybe both.

“I guess so, I mean unless you were planning to call me Princess at work on Monday.” Louis says it before he even thinks, and the full body wince that comes over Harry makes him regret it instantly. Harry turns around to put his back to Louis and busy himself grabbing a teaspoon and putting sugar into one of the mugs in front of him. “I’m sorry, that was out of line. I just… I just don’t know what you want from me. We have a good time and it doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

“Are you serious Louis?” Harry turns back round. “You can’t possibly believe that? You’re making it sound like we had a one night stand. Neither last night nor this morning was one night stand kind of sex. You must get that?” Is he mad with Louis? He seems pretty mad right now? “I mean, Jesus, the things we said, we did...,” he shakes his head to himself, tugging a hand through his hair. “I fucked you bare Louis. Twice. I don’t know about you but I don’t do that with just anyone.”

OK, maybe Louis knew there was a bit more to it than that, but he isn’t prepared to take this conversation any further than he absolutely has to. “Yeah I get that, and yeah it was pretty full on. I think a lot of it was just down to the heat of the moment though yeah?”

“You cannot be that fucking naive Louis. Or do you really not see what’s going on here?” Harry questions, running a hand over his exasperated features. “Or maybe you just don’t want to.” Louis doesn’t want him to elaborate on what he means by that.

“Come on, of course we’re attracted to each other physically, but we both knew going into it how we felt about each other in general, and that it didn’t mean anything serious, so I don’t see why that has to change because things were a bit more, I don’t know, intense than we might have expected.”

“Ha. Right. Intense. That’s one way to put it. Clearly I’ve just got the wrong end of the stick. Stupid me.” Harry spits with clear bitterness in his voice, looking at the floor. “You’ve made it very clear from the beginning how you feel about me. I shouldn’t have expected anything different.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Now Louis is the one that’s mad.

“You know perfectly well what it means, you’ve had it in for me since I stepped off the plane from New York. Actually, probably even before that. Never stood a chance of being anything but your enemy. Bet the whole nice guy act the last few weeks is all bullshit, lulling me into a false sense of security and you probably only shagged me to make yourself feel better, have one over on me or something.” Harry sounds venomous.

“You know what? Fuck you. Seriously. Yeah, I was a prick to begin with, I know I was, but I was scared that everything I worked for my entire adult life was getting taken away from me, so excuse me for not rolling out the red fucking carpet for you. But everyone kept telling me to give you a chance, that you were a decent person, and I did, despite my better judgement. But the fact that you have just stood there and suggested that I would actually manipulate you or hurt you maliciously like that, or anyone else for that matter, just to undermine you or for a fucking ego boost, just proves I was right all along; that you are a complete and utter fucking arsehole.” He gets up to leave.

“Louis, I’m sorry… wait…” Harry tries.

Louis stops in the doorway and turns to Harry. “No, save it. I’m done. This, whatever this is between us, it’s done. And may I remind you, for the record, that you were the one that first suggested sex to me, not the other way round, so maybe I’m the one that should be worried about being used to get one up on the competition.” And with that, he walks out the room.

He stops in the bedroom to retrieve his shoes and his personal effects, before leaving through the front door, slamming it behind him. Harry doesn’t try to follow.

 

__________

 

“You slept with him again didn’t you?”

“Niall, honestly, I’m not in the mood for your shit right now.”

It’s 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon and Louis’ at the pub. He’d called Liam as he was walking from Harry’s apartment to get the tube back to his own flat, telling him that he was feeling much better than the previous night. In fact, he was so much better, he was in desperate need of a pint, and that they should meet up at The Mayflower Arms in a couple of hours, and to get Niall involved. He’d gone home, showered and changed and was back out in no time, with a nice cold lager in hand.

Niall’s just turned up and is sitting with his own pint of Guinness, ever the true Irishman, while Liam is at the bar getting a fresh round in.

“OK, fine. But I know you have.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Well, I was pretty sure something was going on when Payno said Harry had taken you home because you were sick, because you had only had a couple of shots that I knew of, and Zayn said you were drinking water the last time he saw you and you seemed perfectly fine, but then you turned up today and I knew for definite.” Niall takes a long sip of his pint.

“What do you mean, when I turned up today you knew for definite?” Louis is really shit at this whole denying thing.

“Well you’re drinking for a start, and you’re normally a total pussy with a hangover and won’t touch a beer the next day, so it completely screws your throwing up from shots story. Then there’s the fact you’ve turned up in a fucking polo neck in 27ºC weather, so I’m guessing Harry went to town on you and you’re trying to cover it up.”

“Have I ever told you how much I hate you?” Louis says, subconsciously adjusting the collar of said polo neck.

“Ha! Knew it. Sorry to tell you Liam, the drinks are on you tonight.” Niall says, just as Liam approaches the table with three new pints in hand.

“Whats this?” He asks, sitting down, placing the pints on the table and sliding them across to their respective owners, before pulling a bag of salt & vinegar crisps and a bag of roasted peanuts from his pocket and throwing them on the table. Louis leans forward and grabs the crisps, he hasn’t eaten since yesterday and salt & vinegar are his favourite.

“Tommo and Harry shagged again, you owe me forty quid.”

“Aw shit, fair enough. Can’t say I’m all that surprised, you looked like you wanted to eat him alive in the club.” Liam says to Louis while shrugging his shoulders.

“Nah he did the eating.” Louis says.

“What?” Liam just looks confused.

“Harry, he did the eating, not me. I sucked him off in the toilets of the club and then he took me home, ate me out and fucked me senseless.” Louis deadpans. Niall proceeds to spray his entire mouthful of Guinness all over himself and the table and Liam’s mouth just hangs open in complete shock, staring at Louis like he thinks Louis has completely lost the plot.

“Jesus Christ mate, that’s way more information than we needed.” Niall says, wiping his chin of liquid and spit.

“Oh, I’m sorry, should I have put in the WhatsApp group? Maybe kept it for the monthly newsletter?” Louis asks them both in an obviously fake, saccharine sweet tone.

“Um…” Neither of them know how to respond.

“That’s what I thought. Stop fucking discussing and betting on my sex life you pair of absolute cretins,” Louis says indignantly.

“Wow, OK, sorry mate, was just a bit of banter,” Liam holds his hands up in surrender, “thought it was pretty casual between you and Harry, didn’t think it was a touchy subject.”

“Yeah sorry dude, didn’t mean to upset you.” Niall adds.

“Urgh, it’s fine, sorry I snapped at you. But for the record it’s not happening again. Seriously this time. The guy will be lucky if I ever even speak to him again, let alone let him stick it up me. Fucking wanker.” He takes a swig of his drink.

“Louis, what happened? Do you want to talk about it?” Liam says, looking concerned at his best mate.

“You know what, I really, really don’t. The whole think is a fucking mess and really want to forget all about it, I’d rather just get shitfaced and be a total pussy as usual tomorrow when it comes to my hangover.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s make a toast,” Niall raises his glass above the centre of the table, and waits until the other lads have followed suit. “Men are trash,” he says loudly, and Louis and Liam both laugh, but repeat the sentiment whole heartedly before the three clink their glasses together and then all take a big gulp.

 

__________

 

When Louis wakes the next morning, he’s got the hangover from hell as planned, and he sets about making himself a full English breakfast to try and get rid of it. After he has done that, and showered as well, he’s feeling a lot better, but still decides to settle on the sofa for a day of Netflix and little else.

 

As he presses play on some Marvel Universe TV programme he plans to binge watch, he goes through his phone and realises that Harry tried to phone him three times last night. Oh and there’s a text message. Scratch that, there’s a whole text _conversation._

 

**_Louis, can you please answer your phone. I really need to talk to you._ **

**_Im sorry, Princess cant come ti the phone right noww, please kindly fucckk off._ **

**_Are you drunk?_ **

**_Whats it too you?_ **

**_I want to apologise. Can you call me back, or answer your phone? Please?_ **

**_Why the duck would I want to speak to you?_ **

**_I’m too busy sexing a man to make muself feel better to speak to yu._ **

**_Are you actually with another guy Louis?_ **

**_Louis answer me, are you?_ **

**_Your so jelly._ **

**_Im not jealous. I want to know you’re safe though._ **

**_So so jelly. Im with 2 hot men that want to take me home wit them. #menaretrash_ **

 

Louis has then sent a blurry selfie of himself, Niall and Liam, all sticking their middle fingers up at the camera.

 

**_Did you try serious try to call Payno just now?_ **

**_Get bent you prick_ **

**_I don’t really care if you're mad at me right now,_ **

**_I just need to know you are safe._ **

**_I’m always safe, you would kno #wearacondom_ **

**_ooooops maybe not lolz_ **

**_Might want ro get yourself checked, I’m probably_ **

**_riddled cuz all the men I’m using to make me feel ebtter._ **

**_For fuck sake Louis. I’m trying to apologise and_ ** **_you’re acting like a brat._ **

**_oooh a brat eh >? maybe you should spank me?_ **

**_Ok this is getting us nowhere. I’ll call you_ ** **_tomorrow when you aren’t drunk._ **

**_Dony bother. I wont answer._ **

 

Fucking hell. Louis _is_ a brat. Yeah, he didn’t want to speak to Harry, but even he has to admit he was being a total shit. He vows to answer the call when it comes through.

 

__________

 

If it comes through, _if_ the call comes through. Because it’s 8pm now and Harry hasn’t called and Louis is worried. I mean, he’s still mad, but he has to work with guy, and he doesn’t want to deal with this at work tomorrow, like, _at all_. A phone call would be much better. But he hasn’t fucking called.

Louis plays with his fingers a bit more, pretending to watch the tv.

Oh shit, he’s calling, he’s finally calling. Louis scrambles from his lying down position on the sofa to grab his phone from the coffee table, almost dropping it in the process. It’s probably about to go to voicemail when he presses his thumb to the bottom of the screen and raises it his ear. “Hello? Hi Styles? Hello?” He rushes out

“Oh hey Louis. Didn’t think you would actually answer.”

“Yeah I answered.” States Captain Fucking Obvious.

“How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, fine thanks, bit rough this morning you know, but fine now. You?”

“Yeah fine. Um... well... I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. I mean, what I said was bang out of order. I guess I was just a bit confused about the situation and got mad at myself and took it out on you. I know you wouldn’t treat someone badly like that, so yeah, I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah well I was pretty mad, but I’ve not exactly been a ray of sunshine to deal with since you started so I guess I owe you an apology too, and for last night as well, I was a right prick over text to you.”

“It’s cool, I get why you acted the way you did, and last night you were clearly drunk so I didn’t take it personally.”

“Mmmm bet you still wanted to spank me a little bit though eh?” Louis teases, making sure there’s laughter in his voice.

“Maybe a little...” He hears the smile in Harry’s voice too.

“So... think it’s probably best we just stick to work based communication from now on yeah?” Louis says.

“Uh yeah sure. I mean, we can still have the odd pint together can’t we? Like, we can be mates?”

“Sure Styles, of course we can.”

“Cool well, I’ll let you go, see you in the morning yeah?”

“Course. Bright and early, ready to fight another day.”

“As long as we aren’t fighting each other it’s all good.”

“See you Styles.”

“Bye Louis.”

And with that, the line goes dead.

Louis turns back to the tv. He doesn’t know what he was really expecting. An apology of course, that was always going to happen, but maybe he was hoping that Harry might, dunno, fought for it a bit more, didn’t want to keep things as just friends? Louis doesn’t know why he feels like that, probably because the sex was pretty good (ok, maybe better than pretty good) and he’s disappointed it won’t happen again. But he knows deep down it’s the right decision for them both.

Isn’t it?

 

_______________

 

Louis and Harry genuinely seemed to have drawn a line under the entire thing, much to Louis’ relief. He was worried that things were going to be extremely awkward, but for whatever reason, Harry has decided to just get on with things as if nothing happened, and now that there isn’t a cloud of either anger or sexual tension, it seems that they can actually get on as mates properly.

That week, they have lunch together the first three days. The only reason they don’t on Thursday and Friday is because Louis needs to go to Madrid. And then they don’t see each other until half way through the following week because Gemma, Harry’s sister, finally has her baby, and Harry takes a couple of days off to visit them as well as hosting his mum while she is in town. When he gets back to work on the Wednesday, he’s got a billion photos and videos, which Louis looks at with genuine interest.

“And this is him having his first bath. Look at him! Isn’t he just the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” He asks, showing Louis his phone while they are sitting in Louis’ office, both in a chair each in front of the desk so Harry can easily show him the album. Louis hums an agreement, looking up from the video to Harry’s face. He’s looking so fondly at his nephew and the thought pops into Louis’ head that Harry might be the most beautiful thing Louis has ever seen, but he shoves it out as quickly as it entered. Can’t be thinking things like that. “Sorry I’m boring you, aren’t I?” Harry suddenly asks.

“No, no, don’t be silly, it’s an exciting time. I completely get it. When my youngest siblings were born I didn’t shut up for weeks about them to anyone who would listen.”

“I can’t believe you’ve got two sets of twins in your family. I can barely handle having one nephew right now, he’s so damn cute.”

“Yeah you say that, but just wait for the terrible twos. You’ll be glad there is only one to deal with at a time like that.” Louis laughs.

Harry laughs as well. “True, true.”

“I uh.. I actually have something for Gemma.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, hold on.” Louis gets up from the chair beside Harry and walks to the corner of the room where there is a large cabinet and drawers. He opens the cabinet and pulls out a gigantic tartan storage bag and heaves it over to Harry, plonking it down beside him. “It’s a load of baby clothes and bibs and stuff. I know how expensive it can be to buy and figured you guys wouldn’t have much already to hand down considering it’s the first grandchild in your family.”

“You.. you remembered me telling you that?” Harry asks wide-eyed.

“Um yeah? I mean it’s no big deal, we had the stuff in storage and it wasn’t doing anything, none of us kids are close to having children ourselves, and I brought the six months to two years sizes because Gemma’s probably been gifted mostly newborn.”

“I can’t believe you planned ahead and brought this all the way from Doncaster, on the train and everything.” He says quietly, sifting the top few layers of the bag. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you usually suffices,” Louis chuckles warmly.

“Thank you Lou. It’s so nice.” Harry gazes up at him. Louis’ heart flutters at the mention of the nickname and from the look he’s getting.

“My pleasure. Hope Gemma can get some use out of them.” He walks around to the opposite side of his desk, to get out of Harry’s space and avoid Harry seeing him blush. He picks up his own phone. “Oh wow, is that the time? I best get on, got a conference call in a bit.” It’s not exactly the truth, but he’s not sure what else to do.

“Right yeah, me too, considering I’ve been off for two days, should really do some work eh?” He grins, getting up from the seat, slipping his phone into his pocket and lifting the storage bag from the ground onto his shoulder. “We doing lunch?”

“Yeah, sounds good. Niall mentioned he’s got stuff to get on with but Liam should be free. You wanna check with Zayn? Can go and and wet the baby’s head with a nice salad.” Louis winks.

“Heeey, I’ve not had a salad in days, my mum doesn’t allow it, thinks she wants to fatten me up for winter.” Harry pouts, turning to the door. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

“Bye Styles.” Louis watches him leave, before turning to his computer and opening up his email.

 

________________

 

The following Monday is the day. _The_ day _._ The day Louis and Harry are due to find out who is getting the global exec job. Louis had spent the weekend decidedly avoiding anything to do with work, so had shied away from invitations from Liam, Niall, Harry and even Zayn to do anything, choosing to meet up with a couple of mates from his old five-a-side football team instead, going for dinner and a few drinks with them on Saturday evening. He then deep cleaned his entire kitchen on Sunday because he was that nervous and needed the distraction.

He doesn’t see Harry at all when he gets to the office on Monday morning, and he ignores everyone else, choosing to hide in his office and pretend to do work when he is in fact looking at his phone every thirty seconds waiting for Ben or James to ring down. He had sent a text to Harry at six in the morning to say good luck and received a ‘you too’ with a winking emoji in return, and he keeps looking at it, as if waiting for the three grey dots to suddenly appear with the threat of news. Louis knows that Harry wouldn’t do that, gloat via text, but his brain isn’t thinking properly. Eventually at around half ten, he gets the call to come up to the fourth floor.

He knows he hasn’t got the job the second he walks into Ben’s office.

“It simply came down to the revenue generated from your accounts, it’s not a reflection on your work at all. So the position was offered to Harry this morning.” Ben tells him, after sprouting a load his beloved business lingo bullshit for the last ten minutes about how close it was and waxing lyrical about how wonderful both men are.

“OK,” is all Louis can say, eyes on the floor. He’s devastated. Of course he is. But in a way, losing to Harry makes it fine, because he knows the better man won.

“I wanted to be honest and tell you that before I said what I’m going to say to you next,” Ben says slowly, like he knows Louis might not be completely listening. Louis looks up it him. “Harry has declined the position, so we are therefore offering it you retrospectively.”

“Sorry what? Harry declined the position?” What does that mean?” Louis can’t have understood that right.

“Uh… it means exactly what it sounds like, he doesn’t want the job. He’s actually leaving the company completely.” Louis feels like he has just been punched in the stomach.

“Is he fuck!” he exclaims. “He can’t do that?”

“Well he can. We’ve mutually agreed.”

“Why? What was his reason?”

“That’s something you would need to ask him. But you need to be quick, he’s being put on gardeners leave as we speak.”

“He’s leaving now? Right now? Tell me you’re joking Ben. Tell me this is all some sick joke.” He puts his fingers from both hands up to his temples and rubs in circles, breathing heavily. He really wants to scream. Or break something. Like Ben’s face.

“Louis, I don’t understand, I know it’s not the ideal way to get the job you wanted but I thought you would be pleased?”

“Not ideal? NOT IDEAL? Fuck off Ben. This is way beyond the realms of what could ever possibly be considered ideal and you know it.” He gets up to leave.

“Where are you going?” Ben asks him.

“I’m going to find out exactly what the fuck is going on Ben, because you ain’t telling me shit.”

 

______________

 

Louis storms into Harry’s office, the red mist of anger has fully descended over him and he wants answers. And he wants them now.

“What the fuck Styles? You’ve quit?”

“Hello Louis.”

Louis marches right up to stand in front of Harry’s desk. Harry is standing behind it, packing what looks like his personal effects into a small hold-all. “Answer the question.”

“Yes. I’ve quit.” He says it casually, like he’s talking about the fucking weather.

“Why?”

“I decided I don’t want the job. And after a conversation with Ben and James, I didn’t think it would be prudent to stay in my current position.” Louis thinks it would be prudent for Harry to go fuck himself right about now.

“Are you shitting me? So they are just letting you leave? Today?” Harry simply nods his head and finishes putting what looks like a day planner into the top of the bag and zipping it closed. There is something going on here that he isn’t saying. “Look, if this is about what happened in Frankfurt, or that night after the club…”

“It’s not.” He says it too quickly, but Louis lets it pass. He doesn’t actually want it to be confirmed if he is, in fact, the reason Harry is quitting.

“Well, I just don’t get it. You’ve slogged your guts out to get that position and when you finally do, you pass on it? It doesn’t make sense?”

“I have my reasons alright? I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you.” Louis is going to smack him.

“Like hell you shouldn’t? I wanted that job too you know, and now neither of us can have it, because for some unknown reason you’ve decided to throw your dummy out the fucking pram.” He’s aware that his hands are gesturing wildly every time he opens his mouth but he can’t seem to stop it. He’s just too worked up.

“What? Why not? It’s yours now surely?” Harry asks, browns knitting together in confusion.

“Well they’ve offered it to me, yes, but I can’t take it. I didn’t fucking earn it did I?” Louis is seething. He is _seething_ at how Harry can be so fucking blasé about this whole thing.

Harry shakes his head in disagreement. “That’s bullshit Louis. Of course you did.”

“I didn’t. You did. And I want to know why you aren’t staying.”

“It’s not important.” He mumbles, glancing away from Louis.

“Fuck off is it not important. It is to me at least.” He pauses for a few seconds in the hope that Harry will divulge something, anything, to indicate what’s going through that head of his right now. He doesn’t, so Louis is forced to begin the guessing game. “Is it something to do with your family? Or that you’re missing Cheshire or New York or something?” Louis is going to get to the bottom of this if it kills him.

Harry shakes his head. “No, nothing like that.”

“Is it this office, do you not like working with us?”

“Of course not, you guys are great. Please, just leave it alone.” Louis can tell Harry is getting irritated now. Well at least he’ll know how Louis feels about this conversation.

He lowers his voice, and continues cautiously. “Are you sick? Do you have a terminal illness or something? You can tell me, I won’t tell a soul.” He gets he’s clutching at straws, but the not knowing is doing his head in.

“Oh for God’s sake Louis, no, I’m not fucking dying. Will you just give it a bloody rest?” OK, Harry is seriously pissed now.

“Then what is it? Just tell me!” Louis shouts.

“AAARRRGGGGGHHHH. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!!” Harry screams, gripping his hair in both his hands.

What. The hell?

“You’re… You’re what?” Louis squeaks out.

Harry squeezes the bridge of his nose with his fingers with his eyes tightly shut for a second and takes a breath or two, as if to calm himself enough to speak at a somewhat normal decibel. He opens his eyes, dropping his hand to stare at Louis. “I’m fucking in love with you, OK? And I couldn’t be in that fucking job that I just managed to beat you to by the skin of my teeth, knowing that you resented me for it. I’m not strong enough. I’d rather work cleaning fucking toilets all day than stay here and spend every day with you and not be able to have you, be with you the way I want to be, especially if you hated me. There. There’s your reason. Happy?”

Louis feels like he’s just been hit by a fucking bus. How could he be happy? “I… I don’t hate you.” It’s all that he can get out, his mouth filled with gritty, dirty sand.

Harry sighs. “Yeah, well, you don’t love me either do you?”

Louis doesn’t know how to even begin responding to that right now. None of this makes any sense. “But. But you can’t. You can’t possibly love me. I’ve been so annoying and rude, especially to you?”

Harry laughs somewhat soberly, “Yeah, you have. You’re the biggest brat I’ve ever met. I don’t know whether I want to fuck you or slap you just to shut you up half the time.”

“So this is about sex?” Louis asks him.

Harry hastily shakes his head. “God no. Never. I get that it probably sounds like it is, but by the time we were in Frankfurt I was already so gone for you. Have been since the day we met I think, even when I thought you hated me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, look at you, you’re beyond perfect, you drive me utterly crazy. I’d keep you stuffed full of me twenty four seven if I could get away with it. But I should never have suggested sleeping together that first night. I thought it was just a crush, that I’d get over it afterwards, get you out of my system, but that didn’t happen, it just got worse and I wanted you even more because I had had a taste of what it could be like. And that night in the club and afterwards? That was… that was so insane. I’ve never had a night like that in my life. And you had initiated it, so I thought you might feel the same as I did. But the next day you were still telling me nothing had changed and we were just mates and I couldn’t handle it. I lashed out and said those horrible things to you and behaved like a prick, which I still feel horrendous about. It was for the best that we ended it there though, as hard as it was for me to not so much as touch you, because it was only going to make things worse for me in the long run if it continued the way it was. But I swear, there is way, way more to this for me than sex.”

The bus is now reversing back and forth over Louis’ lifeless, broken body. “There is?” Louis was unaware his voice could actually come out that high pitched.

“Louis, fuck, all I want to do is be with you. Constantly. It’s excruciating. I want to listen to you speak about literally anything just to hear your voice. And I want to make you laugh until your eyes crinkle because it’s so gorgeous. I want to bring you your morning tea so I know for sure that your day starts off the right way every time. I want to go to football matches with you, and to the pub for beers with you and cook you healthy dinners because I worry about your diet. I want to meet your siblings because they make your face light up whenever you mention them. I want to take you to all the European cities that you’ve probably been to a dozen times before but never actually got to spend time in, so we can walk around and discover them together while holding hands. And above it all, the thing I want the most in the world, is just to make you really, really, ridiculously happy.”

The bus has exploded, scattering Louis’ decaying, gruesome body parts all over the ground. He can’t handle this. He cannot fucking handle any of this information right now. It’s too much to digest. “I don’t know what to say,” he whispers, looking at the floor.

Harry takes another deep breathe and sighs, “I think if someone tells you that they’re in love with you and you don’t instinctively know what to say back, that’s an answer in itself isn’t it?”

“Harry…” he winces.

“Look, it’s fine, alright? I’ve made my decision to leave and I don’t regret it, not for a second. And I don’t want you to feel badly or anything, none of this is your fault, I’m the idiot here that got in too deep and it’s my shit to deal with. I just can’t deal with it here, with you around me all the time. But I would really like it if we could in some way remain friends at some point down the line.”

Louis doesn’t really know how that’s meant to happen, how Harry can expect Louis to just be casual acquaintances with someone after they have said stuff like Harry just has. But he’s at a complete loss on the appropriate way to act here, so he just nods his head in agreement. There is still the matter of Harry’s leaving though. “You can’t leave your job. Not for me?”

“There are thousands of jobs. There’s only one Louis Tomlinson.”

“Jesus Christ. What a line.” Louis shakes his head in disbelief, can’t help the smile that overtakes his face.

“I know right? Good thing I’m in advertising.” Harry chuckles and winks at him. “Look. I’m gonna go. I’ve got the apartment until the end of the week and then I’m travelling up to my Mum’s on Sunday, I’m gonna stay there for a while while I figure things out, you know, about what I’m gonna do for work and where I’m going to live and stuff. If you want to talk to me about something, anything, you know where I’ll be.” He picks up the hold-all, swings it over his left shoulder, slips his phone into his right pocket and moves round the desk to stand directly in front of Louis.

“So that’s it? You can’t just leave like this.” Louis looks up into Harry’s face. He can feel the tears coming, he just prays he can last a few more minutes.

“Yeah well, there’s not really much else to say is there?” Harry replies softly, eyes looking glassy as well.

There is something Louis could say. Three little words that he knows would make Harry stay. But he can’t. He knows he would be saying them for all the wrong reasons, and none of the right ones, and that’s not fair on either of them. But just because he doesn’t feel the same way Harry does, doesn’t mean he wants to lose him either. So Louis just shakes his head. Because that’s all he can manage right now.

Harry leans in, kisses Louis gently on the cheek and whispers in his ear, “Goodbye Lou.”

And with that, Harry walks out the room.

Louis manages to hold himself together enough to tell Jade to cancel his appointments for the rest of the day, that he’s coming down with what feels like the flu and is going home to rest. She eyes him suspiciously but agrees without question, so he grabs his keys and wallet from his office and heads out the door to grab a taxi home.

Once inside his flat, he walks straight into his bedroom, draws the curtains, strips off to his underwear and crawls under the covers. It’s only then he finally allows the tears he’s been holding in to fall; vicious, painful sobs that wreck his whole body.

And they don’t stop for the rest of the day.

 

________________

 

Louis takes the rest of the week off work. He’s got loads of accrued holiday days saved up and he’s never one to slack off or call in sick so no one had batted an eyelid when he had phoned the office first thing. Ben asked Louis to get in touch when he’s up to it to discuss what Louis wants to do about his position with the company going forward, since he hasn’t actually accepted the promotion yet. He can’t bear to think about that right now though.

Tuesday is a complete and utter right off. The crying has stopped, but his head still feels like someone is trying to stuff it full of cotton wool. He doesn’t leave his bed for the whole day, except to use the toilet or grab a glass of water, alternating between restless sleep and staring at the minute cracks in his ceiling for the entire duration.

Wednesday is a little better. He manages to leave his bedroom and move to the sofa, even putting on a hoodie and joggers to do it. He watches mind numbing tv on his Sky Box, shows about passport control in airports and people hunting storage containers, but he takes none of it in. He realises he hasn’t eaten anything since Monday morning so orders a takeaway, but when it arrives he only manages three mouthful before chucking it in the bin, appetite still nonexistent.

By Thursday, he has the bright (read: stupid) idea to break open the bottle of tequila he has tucked away at the back of a kitchen cupboard. Reasoning that the murky film of inebriation will help his mind switch off, he drinks three quarters of it, before proceeding to throw it all back up again half an hour later. He learnt not to drink on an empty stomach in his teens, so he knows he only has himself to blame.

The entire time all this has happening though, every waking moment since he stormed into that office in Monday morning, has revolved around Harry. Louis can’t help it. It’s a constant ebb and flow of thoughts, going over everything he was told about Harry’s feelings for him, and of questions about his own, in his too full brain. It’s not a completely unwelcome distraction, therefore, when on Friday evening, after yet another sustenance-free day of asinine television, there is a knock on Louis’ front door.

“Jesus Christ. Check the state of you!”

Louis sighs. “Hello to you too Liam.”

“Sorry, hello. But seriously Louis. Have you looked in a mirror?” Liam leans forward to grip the doorframe, getting a closer look at the heap of a man in front of him.

Louis isn’t in the mood for this. “What do you want?”

“To check you were alive first and foremost, Lottie called the office.”

“Fuck off, no she didn’t.” There is no way Louis’ sister would have called looking for him.

“She did, said she tried to call and text you and got no response for a couple of days and was worried. Only Jade and I know though, told her to keep it that way. I told Lottie you had come down with the flu or something but I still thought I should come and check you were ok.”

“I’m fine,” he lies.

Liam raises his eyebrow, “I highly doubt that. Can I come in?”

“I guess.” Louis opens the door wide and steps back, letting Liam walk past him and into the living room.

“God, open a window would you? Smells like death in here.” Liam moves the blanket that Louis had been using to the back of the sofa and sits down, watching Louis as he does as suggested, opening a window to let some fresh air into the room, and waits patiently for him to mirror his position on the opposite end. When Louis has settled, Liam speaks again. “When was the last time you showered? Or slept? Or ate for that matter?”

“Um…”

“So do you want to tell me what’s going on? I’m pretty sure you don’t have the flu.”

“Not particularly,” Louis picks at his joggers.

“Is it to do with Harry?”

Louis looks up at him. “What makes you think it’s to do with Harry?” Liam doesn’t say anything, just has a soft, sad smile on his face. “He’s leaving you know.”

“I’m aware.” Liam nods.

“Leaving London too.”

That seems to be new information to him. “Is he going back to New York?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Louis mutters, “I don’t think so. He’s going to stay with his mum in Cheshire for now.”

“OK, and this is affecting you because…”

“He’s leaving because of me.”

“He told you that?”

“Sort of,” Louis shrugs.

“Well what did he say exactly?”

“That he’s in love with me.”

“I see,” Liam nods again.

Louis was expecting more of a reaction than that. “You don’t seem shocked.”

Liam shrugs. “Probably because I’m not.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. I’m pretty sure he’s been in love with you since the second you two met.” He says it so casually. Louis doesn’t understand how people can just think these things so bloody casually.

“How could you see it and I couldn’t?”

“Well… Maybe you’re just too close to the situation or something.” Louis senses there is something Liam isn’t saying. “I don’t understand why him being in love with you meant that he had to leave?”

Louis runs his hands through his hair, feeling agitated. “He said he couldn’t handle working with me when I don’t feel the same way.”

“You don’t?” Liam asks him in surprise.

“No, of course I don’t?” Louis replies stunned at the accusation. 

“Are you sure?” he presses.

“Yes Liam. I’m sure.”

“OK.” Liam looks like he doesn’t believe him for a second.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m not looking at you like anything.”

“You are. I don’t love him.” Maybe if Louis says it enough times they will both believe it’s true.

“OK. So you’re just upset that you won’t be working together any more?”

Louis looks away. “Something like that”

“Can I ask you a question?” Louis nods head. “I’m your best mate right? How would you feel if I told you I was quitting and moving back to Wolverhampton next week?”

Louis doesn’t have to think about it. “I’d be gutted, obviously.”

“But like how gutted? Would you be so gutted you had to take time off work? So gutted you couldn’t reply to a phone call or text? That you couldn’t eat? Couldn’t sleep? Or even shower? Would you be _that_ gutted if I was leaving?”

That’s so not the point here. “It’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because it is.” This conversation is infuriating. Why is Liam pushing this. He should just take Louis at his word.

“I guess so. I mean you’ve known him a whole three months and me only four years. I suppose it is different.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t mock me,” Louis tells him fiercely.

“I’m not mocking you, I’m just trying to make you open your eyes Louis, because I fear you are still too close to the situation.”

Louis doesn’t want to hear any more of this. “I think you should go.”

“OK. I’ll go. But I’m going to say something first to you and you need to really listen to me and not get into your usual defensive mode.” Louis swallows and nods his head, bracing himself for what’s coming. “As you’re best friend I have got to know you very well, but you’ve always put up these walls, and you don’t let anyone in properly. I don’t know why that is, probably because I’ve never asked but more likely because I know you would never tell me even if I did. You spend so much time dismissing and swallowing down your own feelings that I think you forget that other people have them as well. Not in a bad way, it’s just, I don’t know, self preservation or something. I don’t know how you truly feel about Harry, but neither do you, because you won’t let yourself even think about it properly, or you just like living in constant denial. And maybe that’s part of the reason he is leaving, because as much as he loves you, he needs you to realise you might love him back by yourself, however long that might take.”

Well there’s that bus back for another round.

He doesn’t say anything in return, he wouldn’t know where to start, so he just stands up and Liam follows, them both walking wordlessly to the front door. Louis opens it and Liam turns to him when he gets past the threshold and into the hallway. “Promise me you’ll think about it? I’d hate for you to miss out on something and regret it because you’re too stubborn. And please, for the love of God, wash yourself yeah? You absolutely reek.”

Louis gives him something that may resemble a nod and Liam waves his hand, departing down the corridor. Louis closes the door and locks it up tight, walking from there straight into his bedroom and crawling under his covers, not even bothering to take off his joggers and hoodie, deciding he’s too tired to make the effort.

He doesn’t sleep a wink that night.

 

____________________

 

When it starts to get light outside, Louis resigns to the fact he won’t be falling into any kind of slumber any time soon, so he gets up. Like Liam suggested, he takes a shower, turning the heat up to the maximum temperature his body can take, letting the burning jets of water redden his skin until he can’t handle it any more. He changes his dirty bed sheets, wipes down ever surface and hoovers the entire flat. Yup, he feels thoroughly clean now.

He forces himself to eat as well. It’s probably a little odd having a ham and cheese pizza at 7.30am but it was the only thing he had in his freezer. He manages two thirds of it, so he counts that as a win.

When it gets to a more sociable hour, he phones his sister to apologise for not being in touch. He tells her a sort of half truth, that he didn’t get the promotion she knows that he had been working so hard for, that he hadn’t taken it well and had wanted to take some time away from the office and general life to reevaluate his options. She seems to buy it, and he manages to gloss over the topic of Harry with little issue. There is no point in discussing it with her right now, not when he doesn’t have the answers to the questions he knows she’ll ask.

He replies to all the other messages he has ignored over the previous few days, and phones Ben to set up a meeting with him and James for Monday morning at 10am. He hasn’t decided what he is going to do yet, he thinks that what happens over the next 24 hours will probably play a big factor, but he doesn’t think it’s fair to leave the situation up in the air for too long so felt the need to set a deadline.

After he’s done, he gets dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt and his vans. He needs to get out the house, get some fresh air about him, and the warm summer breeze greets him pleasantly when he steps out of his front door. He turns to his left, and puts one foot in front of the other.

 

——

 

It takes him nearly two hours. He could have got on the tube, but he feels infinitely better after the stroll through the streets of London. It’s not something that he does often, walk round his city, and he resolves to do it more often, having enjoyed the people watching and he’s spotted several new restaurants, bars and shops he wants to explore at a later date. All too soon though, he comes to the destination he had in his mind since he set out from his flat, a flood of apprehension filling his belly at the sight of the building.

He rings the buzzer at the main entrance and is oddly buzzed straight up. He quickly gets to the front door he was at just a few weeks ago and knocks. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t Zayn on the other side.

“Oh. Hey Louis. You alright?”

“Good thanks, you?”

“Not too bad. Missed you at work this week dude. No-one to share my Coco Pops with.” He says warmly.

“Yeah? I missed you too.” And he has. It’s not been long but Louis does like Zayn a lot and thinks he could turn into a really good mate.

Zayn knows there isn’t much need for more conversation. “Want me to get him for you?”

“Sure,” Louis nods.

He leaves the door ajar and Louis watches him retreat down the hallway into what he knows is the living area. There’s muffled conversation, then a new figure walking towards him.

“Lou?”

“Hey Styles.”

“What you doing here?” Harry asks as he gets to the front door, opening it wide again.

“Well, you said if I wanted to talk to you about anything I could come round.”

“Right, yeah, of course, come in.” He stands back letting Louis passed him. When he arrives into the room Harry just left, Zayn is shrugging on his denim jacket.

“I’m gonna head off then, meet up with Perrie.” Zayn tells them both, Harry having now joined him.

“Perrie?” Louis asks puzzled.

“Yeah, we’re uh, kind of seeing each other? Since the work night out? Still very early days though so, uh, if you could keep it to yourself we’d appreciate it.”

Well then, turns out Louis really is up his own ass sometimes, never saw that coming at all. “Oh. I see, yeah ok.”

“See you Monday, maybe?” Zayn smiles, reaching over to squeeze Louis’ bicep fondly.

“Yeah see you then.” Louis watches him walk out the room and hears the front door open then close behind him. He turns back around and sees a few cardboard boxes and a couple of suitcases stacked neatly in the corner of the room. “So you’re really leaving then?” He looks to his left where Harry has been standing watching him silently.

“The lease was up on the apartment anyway, I was only meant to be in it for three months. But yes. I’m really leaving.” Harry confirms, somewhat solemnly.

“Mmm.” Louis nods in understanding, unsure if it would be inappropriate to go and kick the luggage over in frustration. Harry sits on one side of the large sofa, and pats the cushion on the other side, so Louis walks over and joins him. He initially turns and stares at the t.v screen, recognising the film thats playing in just a few seconds even with the volume on mute, one of his favourites from his childhood. “I love this film. Loved the bit with the monkeys wrecking the kitchen as kid, and when the plant swallows the police car.” He doesn’t know why he says it, probably nerves.

Harry lifts the remote from the coffee table, and presses a button to switch the screen to black, reaching to replace the device back down on the wooden surface.“Louis, I don’t think you came here to talk about Jumanji.”

Louis laughs lightly. “No. I guess not.”

“So?”

Louis doesn’t know an elegant way to say what he needs to, so he just goes with, “Well. I guess I came to tell you that, well basically, I’m not in love with you.”

“You’re _not_ in love with me.” Harry face falls.

“No. But like, I could be. At some point.” Louis says. He knows he really isn’t explaining himself very well. He should probably start doing that.

“Okaaaay….” Harry just looks confused now, which is hardly surprising.

“You see, it’s hard for me, alright? I’ve never been in love. And I’m starting to realise I’m the sort of person that won’t fall into it easily, I’m just too stubborn and cynical. I know it’s different for you, you’re such an positive, open person, one that wears their heart on their sleeve and I admire that about you, and I trust and believe you completely when you say you love me.”

“I do. So much.” Harry confirms easily.

“When you told me the other day, I didn't handle it well, mainly from the shock-”

Harry interrupts him. “I’m sorry. That really wasn’t the way I wanted to tell you.”

“I know that, I just couldn’t understand why you were leaving and I pushed you to tell me out of my own frustration. I think at the time I was telling myself that what you were saying was completely out the blue, but in hindsight some of the signs were there, I just didn’t want to see them, for reasons I don’t fully get. It’s been recently brought to my attention that I’m clearly one for hiding my feelings and ignoring others,” Harry huffs out a laugh in agreement, “which, yes, I know I need to work on, but I get now that I have some of the same feelings you did, or do. I wanted you before you suggested it in Frankfurt, probably from the moment we met, I was just blinded by anger at the situation I was being put into. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m truly sorry for how I have treated you.”

“I don’t care.”

“Well I do. You mean a lot to me. More than anyone ever has, in truth. I just can’t say I love you. Not yet. Not because I don’t think its possible but because I can’t say those words to you until I am one hundred percent sure, because once it’s out in the universe, you can’t take it back, and I need to be able to do things at my own pace. But like, I want to be with you.”

“You do?” Harry smiles that gorgeous one sided grin of his.

“Yeah. All the time actually. It makes me sad when I think about not being with you, not seeing you every day. And I want to make you laugh, that big barking one that takes over your whole body. And I want to cook you dinners that don’t involve kale. And I want to watch rubbish romantic movies with you and tease you if you cry at them, and have you tell me all about the books that you’re reading, and take you shopping for ridiculous suits. And I want to kiss you. Kiss you a lot really. Cause you’re just so damn pretty, and spend whole days when we don’t leave the bedroom. I want to meet your family, and for you to meet mine, and maybe go on a holiday together somewhere hot where all we do is lie by the pool and drink fruity cocktails with mini umbrellas and watch the sunset while we hold hands. But the main thing, the thing that makes me want to get up in the morning more than anything else, is I just want to make you really, really, ridiculously happy.” Louis feels like he can finally take a full breath.

“Well. That sounds like something I could get on board with.” Harry takes Louis’ hands in his.

“Yeah? I get that it might sound like I’m in love with you, but I just need a bit more time, and for us to actually be together for a while first.” Louis starts playing with Harry’s fingers.

“I think I can wait. Although should I be worried about you not letting me have kale?”

Louis shrugs. “Probably.”

“Am I allowed to tell you that I love you whenever I want?”

“Yes.” Louis knows that’s it’s probably very selfish on his part, but he wants to hear it every single day.

“Then fuck the kale.” Harry says matter-of-factly.

Louis can’t help but giggle.

“I love you. Can I kiss you now?” Harry asks him.

Louis nods his head. “Definitely.”

Harry pulls Louis into his lap, and presses their lips together, wrapping his arms round Louis’ waist, while Louis’ arms encircle his neck. They kiss leisurely for a while, their tongues drowsily rolling together, content to just coax the taste of each other into their own mouths. After a time, Harry’s hands delve under the hem of Louis’ top, the pads of his fingers running along the smooth skin he finds, causing Louis to fidget a little. Louis pulls his head away so he can look at Harry directly. “As lovely as this is Styles, think it’s about time you take me to the bedroom.”

Harry’s eye instantly darken, and his teeth nibble at his spit shined bottomed lip. “Haven’t even taken me on a date yet. What kind of girl do you take me for?”

“One that’s about to get very, very lucky.” Louis reaches up to run his thumb back and forth over the seam of Harry’s mouth.

“Can’t argue with that can I? Think it’s probably about time you started calling me Harry though.” He kisses the pad of Louis’ thumb lightly before pushing Louis up off of him. Standing up himself, Harry intertwines their fingers together as he leads Louis down the hall.

Once there, Harry undresses them both and spends the next couple of hours taking Louis apart piece by piece and putting him back together, just to do it all over again. He fucks Louis slowly, their lips sealing together with promises of never ending adoration on Louis’ part, and never ending love on Harry’s. It’s all soft touches, gentle caresses, no patch of skin is left un-kissed, no tender words left unsaid. Louis knows in his heart that Harry isn’t actually fucking him, he’s making love to him.

And it’s the best experience of Louis’ life.

 

_________

 

“So I’m thinking of getting a flat with Zayn.”

It’s later that evening, the sun is still out, and they’re sat at a table side by side outside a restaurant in south London watching the world go by, having just polished off two large plates of pasta and a bottle and a half of delicious Montepulciano.

“Oh yeah? I thought he had a flat?” Louis replies.

“He does, but it’s a casual arrangement, he hasn’t got a tenancy agreement and his flatmate is a bit of dick by the sounds of it so he’s up for moving out and finding somewhere together.” Harry tells him.

“I see. So you are definitely planning to stay in London then?” Louis tries his best to not sound excited. He’s pretty sure he fails miserably.

Harry drapes his arm round Louis’ shoulders. “Yup. You see, my boyfriend lives here and he’s very needy, always wanting endless cups of tea made for him, I don’t think he would do well without me.”

“Pfft. Sounds like a drip,” Louis says in mock disgust, “No wonder you’ve got me as your side piece.” Harry tickles him in response, causing Louis to giggle like a school girl. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I’m happy you are staying, obviously.”

“Good.”

“But uh…” Louis starts, but immediately doubts that he should voice his thoughts as soon as he’s opened his mouth.

“Yeah?” Harry starts affectionately playing with the soft hair at the nape of Louis’ neck. There is a good chance Louis is about to start purring.

“You might want to get a short lease on a new place?” He suggests carefully.

“Oh yeah? How come?”

“I don’t know, in case you decide in a few months you want to move in with someone else. Someone who really likes cups of tea.” Louis hopes that Harry gets what he’s saying without actually having to say the exact words.

“Noted.” By the grin on Harry’s face and the accompanying kiss on Louis’ mouth, Harry _completely_ gets what he’s saying.

There’s silence for a few beats.

“So what about a job?” Louis can’t help but ask. He’s been thinking about his own situation at work so he knows Harry must have his career on his mind too.

Harry pulls his arm from Louis and starts playing nervously with his own fingers. “Well, I was going to speak to you when I had a few more details but, well, I actually had a meeting with a couple of investors yesterday.”

“Investors?” Louis turns to him in surprise.

“Yeah, about opening up my own advertising company.”

“Shit really? That was fast?”

“Well, not really, actually been in motion for a few months. They got in touch through a mutual contact in the industry and asked if I was looking to branch out on my own. Given the shit that’s been going on at Corden Winston, I’ve sort of being staying in the loop with them and when I told them I had since left, they wanted to meet.”

“Wow, that’s cool. I mean, it’ll be a massive job, starting from scratch, but it would be a great opportunity for you, and if anyone can do it you can.” Louis can’t help but feel a stab of jealousy. He’s always fantasised of having his own company, but it’s never been more than a pipe-dream.

“Thanks, means a lot you saying that, but uh.. well I wouldn’t exactly be starting from scratch, I’ve already sort of lined up a client.” Harry tells him, a little bashfully.

“You have?”

“Yup. Dashel & Moore.”

“Are you fucking with me?” What the hell? That can’t be right.

“Nope. Genevieve called me on Wednesday. Apparently she called the office looking for both of us and she was told that I had left the business and you were unavailable for the foreseeable future so she panicked and rang me on my mobile. I told her that yes I had resigned but it was on good terms, I just felt I had different long terms objectives than what Corden Winston could support me with, but I wasn’t sure what your position was currently. She basically said off the record that she and the team had no interest in Corden Winston if neither of us were involved, and that she would follow us wherever we went.”

“Us?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, I could use a business partner. If you’re up for it?” He says it so nonchalantly, like he hasn’t just asked Louis to make the biggest decision in his career to date. His head is spinning.

“Fuck, Harry, this is a lot to take in.”

Harry runs a soothing hand up Louis’ arm. “I know. I’m not expecting your decision straight away. But it’s something to think about isn’t it?”

“I guess. I don’t get how we could take Dashel & Moore with us though? I mean, they’ve signed a contract?”

“Ah well, funny you should mention that. Apparently there’s a clause that gives both parties a six week cooling off period to pull out without any repercussions, which they are still in, and another one that states that any significant changes in company personnel on either side that could affect future dealings must be confirmed prior to it’s happening and if both parties aren’t fully satisfied then the contract can be nullified.”

“Holy shit, so you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that because I’ve left and you might too, and we are their account managers, Dashel & Moore can essentially rip up the contract, even if it gets to after the six weeks. Genevieve understands we can’t use any of the intellectual property that we created for them with Corden Winston, but she doesn’t seem to care, says they were basically paying for us two in the long run, and knows that we have the best ideas and attitude. I stressed that the new business wasn’t even close to being up and running and wouldn’t be a for a while, and instead of running for the hills, she actually gave me three of her own personal contacts of possible investors here in London to help speed things up for us. Two of which I am meeting next week when I’m back from my mum’s, which you are more than welcome to attend.”

“Fuck, Harry, that’s amazing. I mean, that account by itself could set us up for the next year alone.” Louis can feel butterflies in his stomach at the thought.

“I know.” He grins.

“Ben and James are gonna be soooo pissed.”

“Fuck ‘em.” Harry hisses.

“What? I thought you liked them?” Louis looks at him in confusion.

“I do, but come on Lou, you have to admit they have used us both. We won that contract, not them, yet they are going to reap all the benefits. And they also pitted us against each other when both us deserved a lot better after all we had done for them. I’ve seen their accounts, they can easily afford two global execs, you know, but they just wanted to keep more money for themselves but have both of us do the work for it for as long as they could get away with.” Shit, when he puts it like that, Harry does have point.

“You’ve seen their accounts?”

“Yeah, may have sweet-talked Joyce in payroll, she’s got access.” He beams.

“How did you do that?”

“Might have taken her out to lunch and given her gin and told her I had been dumped by a cheating deadbeat in New York so we could bitch about how awful men are, and now we’re besties. Brian really was a bastard you know.”

“You’re terrible.” Louis playful hits Harry’s chest with the back of his hand.

“Oh come on, it was like a free therapy session for her, made her feel better. I bet you’ll secretly miss her when you’ve left.” He grabs Louis’ hand before he has the chance to pull away and kisses his palm before intertwining their fingers. 

“You are speaking as if I’ve already said yes.”

“So are you, you’ve been using ‘us’ and not ‘you’ you know.” He looks smug, but like, a cute smug. He’s so pretty.

“I have?”

“You have.” Harry nods.

“Shit. Do you think it’s wise, I mean, starting a new relationship and a new business at the same time together?”

“I’m not going to sit here and say it’s going to be easy, because it’s not. It’s gonna be bloody hard; long days and late nights and no sleep and stress and shouting and you behaving like a terror when you don’t get your own way.” Louis makes a pouting face but let’s him continue. “But I’d rather fight with you every day and make up with you every night and do this with you by my side than do this by myself while you waste your life away for people that don’t really give a shit about you. I love you and I know I always will and I will always, _always_ put you first. I genuinely think it’s worth a shot for both of us.”

God. Louis can’t believe how lucky he is, that someone loves him and believes in him that much. He can’t help himself but lean over and kiss Harry. “You seem to have thought about this a lot considering we only started going out a few hours ago,” he says when he pulls away again.

Harry shrugs his shoulders, “what can I say, I’m an optimist, I was living in hope you would come round.”

Louis pulls his hand from Harrys and grabs his glass, draining it of the rest of his red wine, before turning back to sit properly in his chair, and stare out onto the busy street. He is silent for a full ten minutes, watching the world go by, Harry content to let him digest the information he has just received.

“I’d need my own office. You ask me too many questions to share one,” Louis suddenly says.

“That’s fine, as long as we eat lunch together every day and I get to fuck you over your desk occasionally.” Yeah, that seems like a fair compromise.

“And we’d need to take Niall and Liam with us.” There is no way Louis isn’t involving them. He’s pretty sure they won’t put up much of a fight.

“Well that goes without saying.” Harry agrees.

“Zayn too.” He won’t be an issue, he has the least loyalty to Corden Winston out of everyone and was only there because Harry was.

“Of course.” Harry nods.

Louis shakes his head to himself, in disbelief more than anything. “Shit. We’re really going to do this aren’t we?”

“Looks like it, yeah.” Harry’s face looks like the actual sun he’s smiling so hard.

“The Tomlinson Styles Agency” Louis declares, just to hear the way it sounds out loud.

“Mmmm, I don’t know about that. Shouldn’t my name be on top?”

“Why, because it was your idea?”

“Well yeah, and, you know, because I _am_ the top in the partnership?”

Louis turns to look at him full on to see if he is being serious, and Harry just wiggles his eyebrows then bursts out laughing. Louis slaps him on the shoulder playfully. “Shut up. I hate you.”

Harry leans over to plant a kiss on Louis’ cheek while Louis crosses his arms over his chest and pretends to sulk, and he presses his nose up against the side of Louis’ face, running it back and forth a touch over his cheekbone before whispering, “No you don’t, you love me,” before leaning back into his chair.

Louis knows that it’s good-natured banter, that Harry’s just joking. And he knows Harry’s going to be fine with waiting until he can say it for real, and mean it. So yeah, he might not be in love with Harry right now, but one day he will be. And with one look at Harry’s grinning face, the evening sunlight reflecting in his beautiful green eyes, sparkling with the promise of an incredible future together, Louis knows that day isn’t too far away at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much reading. 
> 
> This is my [Tumblr](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com) for anyone interested, come say hello. The specific post for this fic is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com/post/181327912900/advertising-au-masterpost-ive-been-hoping-youd) if you want to be an absolute doll and give it a like or share.
> 
> Comments and feedback is welcome and always responded to :D


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